I’m a believer in moderation. But, I’m also a believer in indulgence. Steak au poive is  indulgent in more ways than one- so practice with moderation. This recipe is not particularly healthy and this cut of steak is a bit of a splurge but the recipe is great for a special occasion. Lucky for me it didnt have to be a special occasion, Tyler and I exchanged many lunches for this Cooking Class.

Steak au poivre

Ingredients:

• 2 thick cut filet mignon steaks
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1/3 of can beef broth
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
• coarse salt

Assembly: At least an hour before cooking, take the steaks out of the fridge and let them get to room temperature. Crush peppercorns in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Heavily season steaks with salt and pepper and press down to make sure it adheres. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet (butter for flavor and oil to raise the heat).  Add steaks into the hot pan and reduce the temperature to medium-high. Cook about 4 minutes on each side (for medium rare). Remove the steaks and cover with foil. Add shallots and brown. Using a wooden spoon, add beef broth and scrap remaining bits off the pan. Once the broth has slightly reduced, turn off the heat/flame, and add cognac. Carefully, light the cognac and burn off the alcohol. Turn the flame back on a return the steaks to cover in sauce. At this point, you can cook the steaks a bit more or to your liking.