Sunday, September 13, 2009

Steak au Poivre (big hit #3)

Or, loosely translated, Pepper Steak. In a word?? YUM. And easy!! Ok, hit a few snags, like having tenderloins of different thicknesses, meaning they did not cook evenly, but on a scale from "I can boil water" to "I have a PHD in Culinary Arts", this dish certainly leaned more to the Boiling Water side!

And, another plus... there are leftovers!! Always a good thing! And.. the boys liked it! Parker did ask that the next time I make it I keep one steak aside for him that is NOT encrusted in pepper. (Note: they were not ENCRUSTED but certainly peppered!)

I, once again, donned my apron, and even timed the dishes more or less right. Had the pans all cleaned up before we sat down, making the after-party in the kitchen a much simpler affair.

It's very nice to hear compliments from the boys. Matthew's eyes light up when I make something he enjoys. Parker just doesn't make a sound because he is too busy eating! Chris nibbles regardless what is in front of him, so its hard to tell the degree to which he likes something.

My side dish was my only failure. I'd chosen a pre-bagged Roasted Potatoes & Veggis from Schwans (I can't cook EVERYTHING, you know!) but somehow either the oven was not working well or another near disaster fell upon my casserole dish, but they were ice cold still when we got to the table. Oh well.. Parker was smart; ate all his meat and then reheated the veggies.

So.. in case you want to try this at home, here's the recipe:

Tenderloins of beef, cut thin, coated with cracked pepper corn. Cook these in a skillet of hot butter until done. Anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes/side. Set on serving place and put in warming oven (or microwave, which I have found to be a good runner-up).

In the still hot skillet, add 2tbsp of Brandy, and scrape off the drippings from the meat. Add 1/3c heavy cream (Do not use milk!) and 1/3c beef broth. Stir... add 2T of dijon mustard and continue stirring over low heat until sauce is smooth and thick.

Pour over meat. ENJOY!!

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