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A glorified steak au poivre. The first time I tried it was with Roger Vergé. It was sweet, spicy, beefy, and what I loved most was that it wasn't the classic creamy steak au poivre. It was more a sauce as you might serve with game. In face you can apply this recipe to venison or bison.
Makes 4 servings
For the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 sprig thyme
Warm the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Brown evenly on all sides, turning as needed. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter, garlic and thyme and cook until the potatoes are tender. Discard the garlic and thyme. Set the potatoes aside and keep warm.
For the Sautéed Spinach:
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds spinach, stemmed and touch center veins removed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the spinach and garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and drain off any liquid remaining in the pan. Set aside and keep warm.
For the Beef and Sauce:
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup cognac or Armagnac
1 teaspoon coarsely crushed whole pink peppercorns
1 teaspoon coarsely crushed whole green peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed Szechuan peppercorns
1 whole Jamaican peppercorn, crushed
One 1 1/2 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 4 slices.
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsalted beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Add the raisins, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and run the raisins under cold running water. Drain again. Put the raisins into a small bowl and pour the cognac over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Combine the peppercorns together. Season the meat with the coarse salt and press the peppercorns into the beef. Warm 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Slip the filets into the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer the meat to a platter and keep warm.
3. Drain off the fat from the skillet. Add the raisins and cognac to the pan, return the pan to high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the beef stock, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into very small pieces. Gradually add the butter to the sauce, while continuously stirring. Season to taste for salt. Add the meat to the pan and baste with the sauce.
To Serve:
Divide the meat and sauce among four warm dinner plates. Serve with the fingerling potatoes and spinach.
Adapted from Roger Vergé's original recipe, as it appeared in Roger Vergé's Cuisine of the South of France. (William Morrow and Co., 1980).
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