French food can seem intimidating – I think it’s the accents. In reality, French food is just as easy to make as most everything else. And far easier than you think. Even better, despite it’s snooty reputation, most recipes are just piles of meat loaded up with butter, cream, and pepper. I think we can all get behind that. For myself and many others, Anthony Bourdain really took the mystique out of French food. I’m glad he did.

On a separate yet related note, I think it’s important for a man to master all preparations of steak. We’ve obviously got grilling covered, but it’s vital to master a good pan-seared steak. If you can’t cook a great steak to a delicious medium rare in all formats, you’re missing out on potential steak-eating opportunities you didn’t even know about. Let us help you eat more streak. This super-traditional French steak recipe with pan sauce will settle your French cooking nerves and teach you about a proper sear. It’s like a master’s class in meat appreciation.

The Setup

- 4 NY strip steaks
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 oz (by weight) whole black peppercorns
- 1 stick butter
- 2 tbsp Cognac
- 3 oz demi glace or 1/2 c dark stock

I chose NY strip only because it’s my favorite cut of steak. I’ll take it over anything else behind the meat counter. But I imagine you could use any cut you wanted, so long as it holds up on its own after a quick sear and finish in the oven. So not skirt, but maybe a nice filet or sirloin.

The demi glace is something I picked up at the German market near my apartment. It’s sort of a fancy ingredient, but unlike stock, you can keep it around in the freezer indefinitely and it doesn’t take up much room. It’s also insanely rich and delicious, and adds a lot to this dish. A lot of stores are carrying it these days, and I know that Paulina Meat Market on Lincoln has it. But you can also order it here should all other avenues fail.

Cooking

1. Crack the peppercorns. It may seem like a colossal pain, but the taste of fresh cracked peppercorns is something that will set your steak apart. When you crack open a peppercorn, aromatic oils are released that disperse over time. It’s why fresh is much better than pre-ground. Use a spice grinder (easiest), the back of a heavy pan (less easy), a mortar and pestle (okay), or just smack them under the flat of your knife (sorry).

2. Preheat the oven to 375.

3. Coat the steaks with a thin layer of oil, salt, and then dredge in the peppercorns on both sides. Really get them on there.

4. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet (cast iron or something similarly heavy and hot) over high heat. When the oil is hot, add 4 tbsp (half) of the butter.

5. Place the steaks carefully in the pan and brown 2-4 minutes per side. Do in batches if you need to so you don’t overcrowd the pan.

6. Finish the steaks by placing them in the oven, skillet and all. Cast iron and most heavy skillets are oven safe. The crappy Wal-Mart job you bought for your first post-college apartment probably isn’t. It’s going to take your steaks about 5 minutes to come to rare, and about double that to get to medium. Adjust your cooking time to suit your taste. You’ll want to err on the side of undercooked, if you’re not sure. No one likes a tough steak.

7. Remove the steaks from the skillet and rest them on a plate or cutting board, covered with foil while you make the sauce.

8. Return the pan to the stovetop (burner still off), and add the Cognac. Be careful not to light yourself on fire. If you do it correctly, the Cognac shouldn’t flame up at all. If you’re trying to put on a show, then go for it, but I’m not responsible for any ill-advised Human Torch impression. Scrape the fond from the bottom of the pan, turn the burner back to medium-hi, and cook the sauce down a bit.

9. Add the demi/stock and cook down by about half.

10. Turn off the burner, whisk in the remaining half of the butter, and check the seasoning.

11. Serve the sauce over steak with some potatoes (roasted, mashed, whatever you like) and a good glass of wine.

One final note: I told you that this wouldn’t be difficult or over-refined. I confirmed this the other day when the leftover steak made one hell of a steak sandwich. C’est Homme B Que!