Main Course   -   Steak Au Poivre   by Lee Gibson

Description	This is one really amazing way to do steak. Want to impress somebody? Serve this.
Ingredients	2 8oz Tenderloin Filet 1.5T black peppercorns 1T butter 2T vegetable oil Salt, to taste 2T Cognac 1/3C creme fraiche (Heavy whipping cream can be used in a pinch, but I recommend going for creme fraiche. The sauce is MUCH richer and tastier that way)
Directions	1. 30 minutes before cooking, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and pat them dry. Coarsely crush the peppercorns in a mortar with a pestle or a peppermill and spread them on a plate. Coat the filets on both sides with the pepper. Set aside at room temperature. 2. Melt the butter and oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet with a long handle. When very hot, add the filets. Sear on one side for about four minutes. Turn and cook on the second side for four minutes to rare, five or six for more medium. If you have good steaks, do not be shy about leaving them very rare. 3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the filets to a plate, and pour off the cooking fat. Important! Do not rinse or wipe out the pan! You want all that tasty crusty stuff in the bottom. Return the filets to the skillet. In a small saucepan, heat the Cognac over medium heat. When the Cognac is very warm, carefully ignite it with a long kitchen match. (Watch your eyebrows.) Pour the ignited Cognac over the filets, and shake the skillet gently until the alcohol and residual fat have all burned off. Transfer the steaks to serving platters. 4. Add creme fraiche to the skillet, and carefully bring it to a boil. (Be cautious not to curdle it...back off on the heat some.) Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze the meat juices. Whisk the sauce gently until it thickens, about two minutes. Add a pinch of salt. 5. Pour the sauce over the steaks, and serve immediately. 6. Bask in the unbridled adulation of your beloved, as you have just prepared the finest meal in their memory. Then email me and tell me what a stud you are. Recipe courtesy of William Rice\'s wonderful \"Steak Lover\'s Cookbook\". Bad humor courtesy Lee Gibson.
Serves	2
Time to Make	1 hour