Originally published on January 17, 2015
There’s nothing better than a good steak with a steak sauce or spice that’s as equally good. This recipe gives you both with a great sauce that’s got just the right amount of spice. Although it’s a pepper sauce, I tend to stay away from putting whole (or even cracked) peppercorns in it. Doing so just makes it too peppery for my taste, and I also don’t enjoy biting into those big hunks of peppercorn, which are very overpowering and ruin my taste for the actual steak itself – not to mention get lodged in my gums, causing no end of discomfort. But, if you like to take your chances on letting your teeth jump around those whole peppercorns, I’m certainly not going to be the one to stop you.
Ingredients:
1 flank steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup minced onion or shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cognac
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, plus 1 tablespoon
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 – 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt
Directions:
1.) Generously season the flank steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes.
2.) Melt the butter and the olive oil together in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the steak and sear on one side for about 8 minutes, until the steak is nicely seared and carmalized. Flip and cook for another 5 – 8 minutes for medium-rare. If you like your steak cooked more than that, cook for 10 – 12 minutes on each side, covering the pan with a lid after you’ve flipped the steak. I like to cook mine just slightly under the temperature I like to eat it at, as it will continue to cook for a couple more minutes while resting.
3.) Lower the heat under the skillet to medium and remove the steak to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and let rest while you prepare the sauce.
4.) Drain half of the fat from the skillet and to the remaining pan juices add the onion or shallot along with the garlic. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until everything is softened. Pour in the cognac to deglaze and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and the pepper to the sauce and whisk.
5.)In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and the heavy cream. Whisk this mixture into the sauce in the skillet until it is completely incorporated. Simmer until the sauce is lightly thickened. Whisk in the mustard and again, whisk to fully incorporate into the sauce. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
6.) Slice the steak into very thin strips and arrange on a platter. Pour a small amount of sauce over top to cover, and serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat on the side.
7.) Serve and enjoy!