Steak au Poivre — Pepper-Crusted Steak with Cognac Cream Sauce

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Steak au poivre is the most theatrical dish in the rôtisseur's pan-cooking repertoire — a thick steak crusted with cracked black peppercorns, seared in a screaming-hot pan, flambéed with Cognac, and finished with a rapid cream sauce built from the fond. The preparation is executed entirely à la minute, from raw steak to plated dish in under 12 minutes. The steak: use a 3cm-thick entrecôte, faux-filet (sirloin), or fillet, 250-300g. Crush black peppercorns coarsely (use the bottom of a heavy pan — a pepper mill grinds too fine; the peppercorns must be visible, irregular shards that provide bursts of heat). Press the crushed pepper firmly into both sides of the seasoned steak — the meat's surface moisture provides adhesion. Sear in a smoking-hot heavy pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and 20g butter for 3-4 minutes per side (medium-rare, 54-56°C). Remove the steak and rest. The sauce is built in the same pan: pour off excess fat, deglaze with 50ml Cognac — tilt the pan toward the flame to ignite (the flambée burns off harsh alcohol while caramelising residual sugars). Add 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, stir into the fond, add 150ml double cream, and reduce by one-third over high heat until the sauce coats a spoon. Some chefs add 50ml veal demi-glace for depth. Adjust seasoning — the cream tempers the pepper's heat, but the sauce should still have a distinct peppery kick. Return the steak to the sauce briefly to coat, then plate. Nap with additional sauce. The dish is about contrast: the fierce heat of the pepper against the cool richness of the cream, the charred crust against the juicy pink interior.

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