SpiceLines

Uh, oh. Is someone calling you? Stash the meat in the back of the refrigerator and close the door. Get rid of the telltale butcher paper in the garbage can outside. “I’m just coming, dear…”

Around 11:30 PM, after a spartan meal which you have pretended to enjoy, arise from your bed. Tiptoe across the room, close the door firmly but silently, and descend to the kitchen. Oh yes, take the dog with you—if not, she will smell the meat sizzling in the pan and the game will be over.

All clear? Ok, take the steak out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while you putter around. Check out the late night movies. Pour yourself a glass of pinot noir. Fire up your cast iron skillet. Turn on the exhaust fan full blast. Hmmm, better open all the windows too.

Now this is important: If you have hair on your head, cover it with a stocking cap. The aroma of all that sizzling meat and fat will cling tenaciously to your tonsure—a dead giveaway for a suspicious spouse.

Ready? When the pan is hot, toss in the steak. Sear it on all sides, then lower the heat and cook it, turning every minute or two, until it is done to your liking. Remove the steak to a cutting board while you whip up a little maitre d’Hotel butter. Much easier, and ever so much healthier than brandy and cream sauce.

It doesn’t get better than this. A tender steak, crusty with fiery peppercorns on the outside, oozing with rare juices on the inside, eaten with dabs of butter beaten with lemon and parsley. You can wolf this Lucullan repast standing up at the kitchen counter. Or you could actually sit down with your wine and savor every bite. Just be sure to give the dog a sliver or two to keep her quiet.

Don’t forget to wash and put away the dishes. And for heaven’s sake take off that stocking cap.

In the morning you can say, “Oh I couldn’t eat a bite of breakfast. Dinner was ever so satisfying.”

Steak Au Poivre for One

(adapted from Elizabeth David in Spices, Salts and Aromatics in the English Kitchen, 1981)

In her opinionated exploration of taste and flavor in English cooking, Elizabeth David proclaimed: “French restaurant cooks tend to overdo the pepper on steak au poivre to the point where their victims choke on the very first mouthful.” Her own recipe calls for a scant teaspoon of cracked black and white peppercorns for each steak, which seems just right—sparky, but not overwhelming. And instead of the usual rich sauces involving cognac or brandy, she prescribes a simple compound maitre d’hotel butter with lemon and parsley to which I have added a touch of garlic.

Why black and white peppercorns? David recommends black peppercorns for bold aroma, while white peppercorns add “strength” or heat. I would go one step further and combine very fresh Tellicherry peppercorns which have the most intoxicating fragrance with Sarawak peppercorns from Borneo for their fiery bite.

To keep the cracked peppercorns from falling off the steak, take a tip from Cooks Illustrated (September-October, 2001, pp. 8-9) and press the them firmly into the meat using a cake pan—but a heavy pot or skillet will work just as well.

This recipe is for one person, but you can double or quadruple the ingredients if you are serving more.

Ingredients for the steak:

1 New York strip steak, about 3/4 pound
1 small clove garlic, cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Tellicherry black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon Sarawak white peppercorns
Salt to taste

Ingredients for the lemon-parsley butter:

1-1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
Reserved half garlic clove

Method:

1. Rub the steak all over with a half clove of garlic and then with olive oil.
2. Put the peppercorns in a ziplock bag and coarsely crush with a hammer or rolling pin. Press the peppercorns into the steak and set it aside for two hours, or refrigerate over night.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over a medium flame until it is very hot. Put the steak in the skillet and turn the heat up to medium high. Press the peppercorns firmly into the meat down using a cake pan or skillet. Sear the steak, then turn to the other side. Again, press down on the peppercorns and sear. When both sides are nicely browned, turn the steak onto its edges and sear.
4. When the steak is browned all over, reduce the heat to medium low. Cook and turn the meat with tongs, every 1 to 2 minutes until it is done to your liking. It will take 7 or 8 minutes to cook it to medium rare. Remove the steak from the pan to a cutting board and let it rest.
5. While the steak is resting, make the butter: Beat the softened butter in a bowl until it is very smooth. Mince the reserved half clove of garlic and beat it into the butter along with the lemon juice. Add the chopped parsley and mix well.
6. Serve the steak topped with the parsley butter.