Steak au Poivre and Lessons Learned from a Broken Sauce

Steak au Poivre

Recently, I picked up some tri tip steaks on a trip to the supermarket. I wasn't sure how I was going to prepare them so an internet search yielded steak au poivre. The dish is French for a peppered steak with a pan sauce. I learned that a filet is commonly used but almost any cut of beef would work. The dish is also commonly flambéed with brandy or cognac. Normally, I'd be the first one to attempt a technique I've yet to try but I didn't want to take the risk of needing to make a claim against my renter's insurance policy. I found Anthony Bourdain's version which didn't require it so I took the out.

The Challenge

First, allow me to take you through the recipe and then I'll describe some issues I had.

The Source

I followed the version on delish.com but it appeared originally on page 130 to 131 of Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain with José de Meirelles and Philippe Lajaunie.

Ingredients

4 8-ounce steaks
2 ounces olive oil
2 ounces freshly cracked peppercorns, crushed
4 ounces sweet butter
1 ounce Cognac
4 ounces beef stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
French fries, for serving
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped (for garnish)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Dabble a minute amount of olive oil on each side, then dredge each steak through the crush peppercorns. Heat the remaining oil in a large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Once hot, add half the butter, then sear the steaks in the skillet on both sides, approximately 5 minutes per side but adjusting the heat so the steaks don't burn.

2. Place the skillet in the oven until desired doneness is achieved: approximately 5 to 7 minutes for rare, 10 minutes for medium-rare, etc. Once complete, remove the steaks from the pan and set aside to allow for carryover cooking while the pan sauce is prepared.

3. For the sauce, deglaze the hot pan off heat with the cognac, loosening the fond with a wooden spoon. Return to the stovetop burner and reduce the cognac by half. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the beef stock. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the remaining butter, then season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the steak, serve with French fries and garnish with chives.

Successful?

Obviously not.

Part of the issue I have with this version is Chef Bourdain's units of measure of his ingredients because they are rather ambiguous. 2 ounces olive oil? Would that be 1/4 cup (i.e. fluid ounces)? I especially have this problem with the butter. 4 ounces is 1 stick. After I completed the dish, I did a little research and found an entry by Emma of the kitchn on possible causes a sauce breaks in addition to methods to fix a broken sauce. In this particular case, I believe the addition of butter caused it to separate because I prepared the dish again using ribeye steaks about a week later (picture below) but added small amounts of butter (1 teaspoon at a time; 1 1/3 tablespoons total) and it still separated. I advise to omit it all together.

Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings for a Game Day Entertaining #SundaySupper with Gallo Family Vineyards

Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings

I alluded to my love for football about a year ago with a quick pasta dish. I will further specify that I grew up a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, so I laughed when I read the theme for this week's #SundaySupper event with Gallo Family Vineyards, Game Day Entertaining and Pairings, because fans of my team used to have a reputation of being soft (i.e. the wine and cheese crowd) which contrasted with the fans of the other team across the San Francisco Bay. (On a side note, I was relieved when San Francisco lost to Seattle because I don't think Kaepernick would have been able to keep up with Manning, but that's an entirely different discussion.)

If you're unfamiliar with Gallo Family Vineyards, they have a store locator where you can find their wines, and can be found on facebook, twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. They also have a fun crest creator which you can customize. I did one myself you can see below. In the interest of full disclosure, compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

GFV also sponsored a previous #SundaySupper event last month. During the twitter chat that week, a portion of the discussion centered around Moscato, which I had never tried. I was intrigued so when I was selected to participate in this week's event, I selected their white Moscato to use for my dish, however I hadn't realized it was a sweet wine when I did. I prefer dry wines such as chardonnays and cabernets because I usually pair them with savory dishes if I'm enjoying a glass with dinner or cook with them. I'm not really a dessert guy and can't appreciate sweet cocktails so I did a google search for wine pairings and one suggestion for Moscato was Chinese food. Many spicy dishes in their cuisine pair well with the sweet wine.

The Challenge

Pair a sweet wine with a spicy appetizer.

The Source

I adapted a chicken wings dish on Cooking Channel's website I thought would make for great game day entertaining.

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings, wing tips removed, then cut at the joint
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, dry toasted until fragrant
5 dried red chiles, crushed
1 bunch scallion greens, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 star anise
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 12-fluid ounce bottles ale beer
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup corn starch
1 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 teaspoon chives, chopped fine (for garnish)

Method

1. Marinate the wings: Combine the wings, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, five-spice, Szechuan peppercorns, dried chiles, scallion greens and star anise in a resealable bag and toss until the chicken is coated in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Braise the wings: Empty the contents of the resealable bag into a large Dutch oven. Add to it the ale and rice vinegar. Bring the oven to a boil on the stovetop then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the wings are tender and the meat is almost falling off the bone, approximately 1 hour. Remove the wings onto a platter in a single layer and refrigerate until cold, reserving the braising fluid.

3. Fry the wings: Place enough vegetable oil in a large pot to reach a depth of at least 1 1/2 inches and heat to 375° Fahrenheit. Combine the corn starch and flour, then dredge each wing into the mixture and shake off any excess. Deep-fry the chicken, in batches if necessary, in the oil until deep brown and crisp, approximately 3 minutes, taking care to not overcrowd the pot. Remove the wings with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

4. Finish the dish: While the wings are frying, place the braising fluid over medium heat and reduce until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain out and discard the solids, then return the braising fluid to the heat and whisk in the butter. Pour the fluid into the bowl with the chicken and toss until well coated. Serve immediately garnished with the chives and accompanied by Moscato.

Successful?

I need to confess that I didn't have time to marinate the wings overnight so the spicy flavors were muted, which suits me well since I dislike strong spicy dishes. The spice was just enough to complement the sweet flavor of Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato. Mrs. Stuntman also enjoyed this dish so much that these wings might make an encore appearance on Super Bowl Sunday.

Other Sunday Supper Participants

And finally, please check out this week's other Sunday Supper contributors:

• Bacon Wrapped Maple Scallops by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Balsamic Glazed Cauliflower "Wings" by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Bean and Chorizo Dip by Foxes Love Lemons
• Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Blue Cheese Burger Bites by Country Girl In The Village
• Chipotle Quinoa Fritters by Healthy. Delicious.
• Cilantro Lime Marinated Shrimp by Ruffles & Truffles
• Game Day Pepperoni Pizza Dip by Family Foodie
• Game Day Pulled Pork Nachos by girlichef
• Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Pistachio Truffles by Chocolate Moosey
• Grilled Steak Sliders with Chimichurri Sauce by Hip Foodie Mom
• Honey Dijon Glazed Wings by The Foodie Army Wife
• Honey Ham Barbecue by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip by The Dinner-Mom
• Korean-style Clams by kimchi MOM
• Sparkling Pomegranate Pinot Punch by Magnolia Days
• Spicy Sausage Rolls by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Spinach Balls by Shocklingly Delicious
• Spinach Lasagna Cups by Alida's Kitchen
• Sweet Potato Skins by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET.  Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo

The fact that bone-in skin-on chicken thighs appeal to me is no secret. So one day a couple of weeks ago, I had some defrosting in the refrigerator and was looking for a different way to prepare them.

The Source

I adapted this dish from the recipe I found on Food & Wine.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 chicken thighs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces smoked ham, sliced into 1/4-inch dice
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon fresh chives, minced

Method

1. Sear the chicken: In a large skillet, heat the oil until smoking. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then place in the hot oil over medium-high, in batches if necessary, until browned on both sides, adjusting heat if necessary to prevent burning, approximately 8 minutes per batch. Once browned, remove from pan and set aside, then discard all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat.

2. Season the dish: Reduce heat to medium-low. Sweat the ham, onion, and garlic to the pan until the onion starts to soften, approximately 2 minutes. Add both bell peppers and sweat, stirring occasionally until they soften, approximately an additional 3 minutes.

3: Cook the rice, blend the flavors and finish the dish: To the mirepoix, add the tomatoes, tomato paste and stock, then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the rice, add the chicken back to the pan (skin side up), and cover. Simmer it until the chicken and rice are cooked through, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with chives and serve.

Successful?

As I looked around, I noticed it is common for this dish to be photographed while still in the pan, but I wanted to take a shot of an individual plate. In retrospect, I regret the decision. While not my most aesthetically pleasing dish, the flavors definitely were and I'll be preparing this dish again.

In other news, I must ask for your pardon for my short absence. I was pretty busy, partially because Mrs. Stuntman celebrated a birthday last week. She wanted to go to Chef Michael Mina's Arcadia in San Jose. I don't do restaurant reviews but I did want to share the dishes we ordered.

Appetizer: Duck Spring Rolls, Ginger Dipping Sauce, Butter Lettuce, Mint

My Entreé: Buzzards Bay Scallops, Pork Belly, Meyer Lemon, Onion Soubise

Mrs. Stuntman's Entreé: Phyllo-Dusted Sole, Dungeness Crab Brandade, Hericot Verts, Dijon