Oh, I think I just saw you drool a bit.

There are a few ways you can get a good steak au poivre. You can certainly use black, green or even white peppercorns or a combination of these. You can press the peppercorns onto the steak and make a crust on your meat before you cook it but this can become easily very potent.

Soaking the peppercorns in wine for a few minutes takes the edge off and rounds up the flavors. Instead of crème fraîche, you can finish the sauce with butter. I was all out of beef broth so I used vegetable broth for this picture. The result was equally delicious.

Ingredients for the sauce:

1 shallot, finely minced
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup Cognac or Brandy
1 tbsp crème fraîche
salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak the peppercorns in the wine as you are about to start the sauce.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and cook the shallot until soft but not colored.
3. Add the broth and the Cognac or Brandy and reduce by half or until the sauce thickens a bit, a few minutes.
4. Drain the peppercorns and add them to the sauce along with the crème fraîche. Salt to taste and keep warm while you cook the steak.
5. Cook the steak to the doneness you prefer, let it rest five minutes, cover with the sauce and serve on warm plates. I served mine with grilled radicchio and grilled potatoes on the BBQ.

Serves 2