Braised Steak au Poivre in Red Wine
While the
French classic
steak au poivre, or peppered steak, is a
wonderful idea, steak
is expensive and in the winter the original recipe can be adapted to braising –
which is far easier for entertaining and tastes every bit as good. I like to
serve it with some crispy-skinned, buttered jacket potatoes.
Serves : 4
Ingredients:
2lb / 900g
Good-Quality Braising
Steak, cut into 2 inch / 5cm pieces
1 Level Dessertspoon Whole
Black Peppercorns
15 floz /
425ml Red Wine
1 Rounded tbsp Plain
Flour
3 tbsp Beef Dripping or Olive Oil
2 Large Onions, finely
chopped
2 Fat Cloves Garlic,
crushed in a pestle and mortar with 1 Level tsp Sea Salt
2 Bay Leaves
A Large Sprig Thyme
2 Rounded tbsp Crème
Fraîche
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
Instructions:
1.
Pre-heat
the oven to Gas Mark 2 / 300°F / 150°C.
2.
Begin by
crushing the peppercorns
coarsely with a pestle and mortar, then mix them
together with the flour
on a plate.
3.
Now dip
the pieces of meat
into this mixture, pressing it well in on all sides.
4.
Next, heat
2 tablespoons of the dripping
or oil in the
casserole, and when it is really hot and beginning to shimmer, quickly brown
the pieces of meat,
about 4 at a time, on both sides, then transfer them to a plate.
5.
After
that, add the remaining dripping
or oil to the pan
and brown the onions
for 3 – 4 minutes, still keeping the heat high.
6.
Then add
the crushed garlic
and cook for another minute.
7.
Now add
any remaining flour
and pepper left on
the plate to the pan, stirring well to soak up the juices, then
add the wine a little at a time, continuing to stir to prevent any lumps
forming, and scraping in any crusty residue from the bottom and edge of the
pan.
8.
When it's
at simmering point, add the meat
to the sauce, season it with salt, then pop in the bay leaves and thyme.
9.
Bring it
back to a simmer, then put a lid on the casserole and transfer it to the middle
shelf of the oven to cook for 2 hours or until the meat is tender.
10.
When
you're ready to serve, remove the herbs, add the crème fraîche, stir it in well, then taste to check for
seasoning before serving.
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