Steak au Poivre with Beef Sirloin

Ingredients

• 4 beef sirloin, about 200 g each, trimmed
• 2 tbsp black pepper, coarsely crushed
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 dl beef stock
• 5⅓ tbsp heavy cream
• 2 tbsp red wine
• salt to taste

Method

1. 1.

   Crust the steaks with pepper — Season the beef sirloin steaks with salt, then press the crushed black pepper firmly onto both sides of each steak.

2. 2.

   Sear the steaks — Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pan over high heat. Sear the steaks for 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, then transfer to a plate to rest.

3. 3.

   Cook the shallot in butter — Lower the heat, add the butter and shallot to the pan and cook for 1 minute until softened, scraping up the browned bits.

4. 4.

   Simmer the peppercorn sauce — Carefully add the brandy and let it bubble for 30 seconds, then stir in the beef stock and heavy cream. Simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

5. 5.

   Spoon sauce over the steaks — Return the steaks and any resting juices to the pan, spoon the sauce over the top, and serve immediately.