Pan-Sautéed Steak with Black Pepper, Armagnac, and Yellow Raisins

Name: Pan-Sautéed Steak with Black Pepper, Armagnac, and Yellow Raisins (Steak au Poivre et aux Raisins Secs)
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 2 boneless rib, strip, or shell steaks, cut ¾ inch thick, trimmed of fat, about 7 ounces each; Coarse kosher salt; 1½ tablespoons yellow or golden raisins, softened in warm water and drained; 2 tablespoons Armagnac or Cognac; 4 teaspoons freshly crushed mixed black and white peppercorns; ¼ cup meat stock or water; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon grapeseed, French peanut, or mild-flavored olive oil; 1½ tablespoons heavy cream; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Steak au Poivre et aux Raisins Secs

Preparation info

Serves
2

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Cooking of South West France

By Paula Wolfert

Published 1987

About

Here’s my version of the old bistro favorite, steak au poivre, with the addition of Armagnac-soaked yellow raisins to soften the aggressiveness of the pepper.

Ingredients

2 boneless rib, strip, or shell steaks, cut ¾ inch thick, trimmed of fat, about 7 ounces each

Europe
France
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

Season the steaks with salt; rub with half the oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until 30 minutes before cooking. In a small bowl, macerate the raisins in the Armagnac for at least 30 minutes.
Dry the steaks with paper towels. Spread half the crushed peppercorns on a paper towel. Firmly press the steaks into the peppercorns. Spread the remainder