Harmony is achieved in a dish when contrasting flavors combine to create balance. In this dish, the black pepper and bourbon add a real jolt of flavor that's miraculously mellowed by the cream and butter.
Use veal chops, pork chops, or beef rib steaks instead of sirloin. Cook in the same fashion but allow a longer cooking time, about 8 minutes per side for a 1-inch-thick chop or rib steak with the bone intact.
Replace the bourbon with brandy or cognac.
For a lighter pan sauce, leave out the cream and butter.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
1. Put the black peppercorns in a wide, flat dish. Press the steaks into the peppers to coat them on all sides, then season with salt. Set aside.
Step 2
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the steaks, two at a time if necessary to avoid overcrowding, and cook for 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer each steak to a dinner plate and set aside.
Step 3
3. Add the shallots to the pan and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the bourbon, then carefully return the pan to the stove over low heat and cook until the bourbon is almost entirely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, raise the heat to high, bring it to a boil, and continue to boil until reduced and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Swirl in the cream and the butter and warm gently.
Step 4
4. Pour some sauce over each steak and serve.
