Steak au Poivre

Two 6- to 8-ounce filet mignons
1/2 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup Cognac or other brandy
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
 
Pat the steaks dry and, if they are thick, gently press them down so that they are about 1 ½ inches thick. Season the steaks all over with the salt.
 
Seal the peppercorns inside a small plastic bag and place on a cutting board. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a frying pan, pound the peppercorns until they are coarsely crushed. Press the crushed pepper evenly onto both sides of the steaks.
 
In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the steaks and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side, turning only once, for medium-rare (or about 4-5 minutes per side for medium). Transfer the steaks to a plate and tent with foil.
 
Pour off the excess fat from the pan but do not wipe clean. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the butter and shallots. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping up the brown bits, until the shallots are golden brown and softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully add the Cognac (it may ignite) and boil, again stirring to scrape up the brown bits, until the liquid is reduced to a glaze and mostly absorbed by the shallots, a few minutes. Add the cream and mustard and gently boil until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in any meat juices that accumulated on the plate. Transfer the steaks to plates and spoon the sauce over top.
 
Serves 2.
 
From Once Upon a Chef blog

Boursin-Crusted Steaks with Red Wine Sauce

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled butter

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3/4 cup low-salt beef broth

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 package Boursin garlic and herb cheese (5.2 ounces)

1/4 cup panko

4 1-inch-thick filet mignon steaks (each 6 to 8 ounces)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, shallot, and thyme.  Sauté until shallot is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add broth and wine.  Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 12 minutes. Set sauce aside.

Blend cheese and panko in a small bowl.  (Both red wine sauce and Boursin cheese mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Heat broiler.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.  Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare; undercook steaks a bit at this stage or they will be overdone after broiling.  Transfer steaks to rimmed baking sheet; reserve skillet.  Press cheese mixture onto top of steaks, dividing equally.  Broil until cheese browns, about 2-4 minutes.  Transfer steaks to plates.  Pour sauce into reserved skillet.  Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.  Boil 2 minutes.  Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon sauce around steaks and serve.

Serves 4.

From Bon Appetit, November 2003, with some changes

Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, finely diced
3 shallots, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, in 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Cognac
2 cups unsalted beef stock
1/4 to 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into half-moon slices

3 to 4 large yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and quartered

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven or a large heavy pot over medium-low heat.  Add onion and shallots. Cook until softened but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl.

Add 2 more tablespoons butter to the pan. Dust beef cubes with flour, and season lightly with salt and more generously with pepper. Shake off excess flour, and place half the cubes in the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, almost crusty, on all sides, then transfer to the bowl with onions. Repeat with remaining beef.

Add Cognac to the empty pan, and cook, stirring, until the bottom is deglazed and any crusted-on bits come loose. Add stock and Dijon mustard. Whisk to blend, then return meat and onion mixture to pan. Lower heat, cover pan partway, and simmer gently until meat is very tender, about 1 1/4 hours.

Add carrots, and continue simmering for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 20 minutes, or until both carrots and potatoes are tender.  

As the stew cooks, heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté mushrooms until browned and tender. When carrots and potatoes are tender, stir mushrooms into stew. Simmer 5 minutes, then taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

From Regina Schrambling in the New York Times, via Smitten Kitchen, with a few changes

Chipotle Beef Chili with Lime Crema

1 pound ground beef or buffalo
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
5 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup stout or dark beer
2 tablespoons pureed canned chipotle chilies
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 15 ½-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel

Heat heavy large pot over high heat.  Add beef; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with a spoon, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add onion and garlic to the same pot.  Sauté until onion is tender, 8 minutes.  Add chili powder.  Sauté util fragrant, 3 minutes.  Add beef, broth, tomatoes, stout and chilies.  Cover partially; simmer until chili is thick, stirring often, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  

Gradually stir cornmeal into chili.  Stir in beans.  Simmer until heated through.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  (Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and chill.  Rewarm over medium heat.)

Whisk sour cream, lime juice, and lime peel in a small bowl.  Season with salt.

Spoon chili into bowls.  Spoon lime crema atop chili.

Serves 4 to 6.


From Bon Appetit, with some changes

Italian Cottage Pie

3-4 tablespoons olive oil
A pat of butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 celery sticks, strung and finely chopped
3 carrots, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 cup milk
1 cup white wine
About 30 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Bay leaves
Nutmeg
2 1/4 pounds potatoes, boiled and mashed with milk and lots of butter

Warm the oil and butter in a heavy cast iron pot, add the onion, celery and carrots with a sprinkling of salt, and saute gently untl they soften.  Add the garlic and continue cooking for another couple of minutes.  Add the beef and a little more salt, grind some black pepper over it, and stir until the meat has just lost its raw pink look.  Add a couple of bay leaves and the milk, and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the meat has absorbed a lot of the milk.  Add the nutmeg, then the wine, and let it simmer into the meat for 10 to 15 minutes before adding the tomatoes.  Cook at a bare minimum simmer for about 3 hours.  Correct the seasoning to taste.  Heat the oven to 400°F.

Put the ragu in a pie pan and spread on the potatoes.  Bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn down to 350°F for a further 45 minutes until crusted brown and bubbling.

Serves 6.


From Tarts with Tops On by Tamasin Day-Lewis


Serve with Onion Gravy.

Spicy Beef and Beer Stew

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 pounds boneless beef chuck steak, cut into large chunks

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large onions, diced

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

1 bottle dark beer

2 tomatoes, diced, or 3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

10 small new potatoes, halved

16 baby carrots

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour whisked with 2 tablespoons cold water, optional

In a large bowl, combine garlic, 1 tablespoon of sugar, cumin, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.  Add beef cubes and stir to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a pressure cooker, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown meat, in batches.  Return browned meat to cooker.  Add onion and red or green pepper; sauté for 5 minutes.  In a bowl, combine beer, diced tomato, pepper flakes, and remaining brown sugar; pour into the cooker.  Stir in potatoes and carrots.

Lock the lid in place and bring the cooker up to full pressure over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, just to maintain even pressure, and cook for 35 minutes.  Remove from heat and release pressure quickly.

If desired, whisk in flour mixture and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until thickened.

Serves 8 to 10.

From 125 Best Pressure Cooker Recipes by Cinda Chavich