Steak au Poivre

This is the full recipe from the William Sonoma cookbook. For the appetizer, John cooked one steak and made the sauce. He cut up a baguette into 3/4" pieces and toasted the pieces, then placed thin strips of the steak and a little sauce on top of the bread.

½ cup black peppercorns
4 New York strip steaks, about 1 lb each and 1.5” thick
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra as needed
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, minced
3 Tbsp cognac or high quality brandy
½ cup full-bodied red wine
1 cup beef stock or prepared low-sodium broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh flat-leaf parsley springs for garnish

Using a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or the coarsest setting on a pepper mill, crush the peppercorns until coarsely cracked. Sprinkle the pepper evenly on both sides of the steaks and press it into the meat, using your hands or the flat side of a cleaver blade. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Select one large frying pan or two smaller frying pans big enough to fit the steaks without crowding. Melt the butter with the oil over medium-high heat until bubbling, about 1 minute. Add the steaks and sear on one side until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the steaks and sear on the other side until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 125°F for rare or 135°F for medium rare, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the steaks to a warmed platter and cover the platter loosely with aluminum foil.

Add the shallots to the pan and sauté, adding more butter if needed to prevent sticking, until softened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add the Cognac/Brandy, and flambé. When the flames disappear, add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until lightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, return to a boil, and cook until reduced by half and thickened to a saucelike consistency, about 5 minutes longer. Whisk in the cream and mustard and simmer for 1 minute longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the steaks to warmed individual plates and spoon some of the sauce over each serving. Garnish with the parsley and serve at once.