October ALLCAPS COOKBOOK Recipe: Steak with Peppercorn Pan Sauce (Patreon)

THE ALLCAPS COOKBOOK PRESENTS: Perfect Goof-Proof Wednesday Night Steak and Peppercorn Pan Sauce

OKAY OKAY YOU GUYS. 

So I like steak, RIGHT? WHO DOESN’T. But I always get a little frustrated that it’s never QUITE as good at home as in a restaurant and it gives me a sad. And everyone always gets all manly with me and wants to show me how to MAKE MAMMOTH STEAK REAL GOOD LIKE LUG IN HIS CAVE but I can NOT deal with the weird masculinity contest involved in making a damn steak as opposed to any other food and ALSO they always want to grill and the thing about a grilled steak is IT IS A DIFFERENT BEAST and most importantly, you can’t make a pan sauce if you DEFEATED YOUR MAMMOTH on a grill. AND A PAN SAUCE IS THE PRIME DIRECTIVE OF MEATFLEET.

But the other night the power went out and I was like UGH better cook up some of the stuff in the freezer, SUPER GLAD we just went shopping. Oh yes, I bought those steaks two months ago I should make them like, probably right now, yikes. And I ended up making the most Perfect Steak and Pan Sauce of All Time Forever and I have to share it with you IT IS MY MORAL DUTY AS A MEATFLEET OFFICER. It’s stupid easy and I have a hard time imagining how you could mess it up without an errant temporal anomaly. COME WITH ME TO THE PEPPERCORN NEBULA.

P.S I would like there to be a picture for you, I really would, but we stood there over the pan with pieces of bread MOPPING THE SAUCE STRAIGHT OUT THE PAN like savages it was so good so…yeah. Here is a picture of the “finished dish.”

Ingredients

SOME STEAK (ribeye, sirloin, strip, t-bone, I don’t know your life)

A PAN

1/2 cup sweet red wine

2-3 cloves garlic

2-3 tblsp heavy cream

1-2 tablespoons whole peppercorns

Several grinds of ground black pepper

Salt to taste

1 tsp chili flakes/paste (or what I used which was the sauce for Nashville Hot Chicken? But you might not have that? Or my obsession with it?You probably don’t? So just put a little something in to give it a bit of heat)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

THERE ARE NOT MANY STEPS SO PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE EACH ONE IS IMPORTANT.

Let steak come up to room temperature naturally. Do not defrost in microwave, GROSS.

Pat steaks dry with paper towel.

Season both sides with salt and pepper. Maybe a little cumin if you’re feeling sassy.

Preheat oven to 250. Add enough olive oil to coat pan (cast iron is best for this but you do you) and bring to the higher end of medium-high heat. Be patient, don’t just go in cold. Place steaks in pan. Medium rare should go in for 2 minutes thirty seconds per side, three minutes TOPS. 1.5-2 for rare, 3.5-4 for medium, any more than that I DON’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU.

Finish in oven for 8 minutes at 250. Remove steaks from pan to a plate and let rest.

NOW FOR PARTY TIME. 

Fire up the stove again on medium to medium high. CRUSH GARLIC LIKE HULK and put in pan with ALL THEM DRIPPINGS. Saute until it smells awesome and is turning a bit brown. Add red wine, peppercorns, pepper, salt, and chili. Let it all bubble away for about three to four minutes or until the wine has visibly thickened. Turn off heat. Stir in heavy cream for 1-2 minutes, adding steadily. Add apple cider vinegar, let stand for a couple of minutes, then spoon over steak and PROCLAIM VICTORY OVER YOUR MAMMOTH. LIVE LONG AND PAN SAUCE MEATFLEET OUT.