Thick ribeyes seared hard in cast iron and basted with garlic-thyme butter, sliced and served with a brandy, shallot and cracked peppercorn cream sauce.
Strip steaks or a thick sirloin work the same way. Good with roasted potatoes, a green salad or crusty bread for the sauce.
Leftover steak keeps 3 days; slice thin and warm gently in the sauce in a skillet rather than recooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 2 boneless ribeye steaks (about 1.5 inches thick, 1.25 lb each)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 shallots
- ¼ cup brandy
- ½ cup beef stock
- 3 tsp black peppercorns (divided)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 2 boneless ribeye steaks (about 1.5 inches thick, 1.25 lb each)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 shallots
- ¼ cup brandy
- ½ cup beef stock
- 3 tsp black peppercorns (divided)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Season and temper the steaks
Season boneless ribeye steaks all over with kosher salt (2 tsp) and black peppercorns (1 tsp) and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Sear and baste
Heat the cast-iron skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke, about 5 minutes.
Add neutral oil (1 tbsp) and the steaks and sear, flipping every couple of minutes, until a deep crust forms on both sides, about 8 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium, add unsalted butter (2 tbsp), garlic (3 cloves) and fresh thyme (4 sprigs), and baste the steaks with the foaming butter until they reach 125 to 130°F, about 3 minutes.
Equipment: 12-inch cast-iron skillet, instant-read thermometer
Rest the steaks
Move the steaks to the cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
Equipment: cutting board with a groove
Make the peppercorn cream
Pour off the fat, lower the heat to medium-low, and melt the remaining unsalted butter (1 tbsp) with shallots and the rest of the black peppercorns (2 tsp) until soft, about 3 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat, add brandy (¼ cup), then return it to the heat and simmer until nearly gone, about 2 minutes.
Add beef stock (½ cup) and reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
Stir in heavy cream (½ cup) and Dijon mustard (1 tsp) and simmer until the sauce coats a spoon, about 3 minutes, adding any resting juices from the board.
Equipment: 12-inch cast-iron skillet
Slice and serve
Slice the steaks against the grain and serve with the warm peppercorn cream spooned over or alongside.
Equipment: cutting board with a groove
Tomorrow's Meal
Steak and Peppercorn Cream Toasts
Thin slices of leftover steak warmed in the peppercorn cream and piled onto skillet-toasted sourdough with peppery arugula.
Quick overview:
- 1.Slice leftover steak very thin.
- 2.Toast thick slices of sourdough in butter in a skillet.
- 3.Warm the sauce in the same pan and slip in the steak just to heat through.
- 4.Pile onto the toast and top with arugula.
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Strip steaks or a thick sirloin work the same way.
- • Good with roasted potatoes, a green salad or crusty bread for the sauce.
- • Leftover steak keeps 3 days; slice thin and warm gently in the sauce in a skillet rather than recooking.
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