Steak avec sauce au poivre et de Madère / Steak with Madeira Peppercorn Sauce

Steak avec sauce au poivre et de Madère  / 

Steak with Madeira Peppercorn Sauce

What is Valentine's Day without a delicious steak?   A steak is good just by itself with a little salt and pepper, but if you are aiming to do something special and surprise your sweet one, this recipe may be for you!

One of my Dinner Club gals, Tracy, and I were discussing good steak recipes and she suggested a couple.  One had green peppercorns in a brine.  Sounded excellent.  The only problem was finding green peppercorns in a brine.  Standing in the aisles of my local grociers, I saw every different kind of pepper, but green was not one of them.  I even asked for help only to be met with looks of confusion and blank stares.  Is there somebody out there who can tell me where they sell green peppercorns in a brine?  I bet I can find them on line.  You can find anything on line.  I'll look later.  Even if I did order them on line, they weren't going to get to me by the time I was making this steak.  The other recipe was a beef tenderloin in a port sauce which also sounds amazing, but it calls for cognac.  I've used cognac in several beef recipes and I am a big fan.  So much so, I'm fresh out!  In times like this, you make up your own recipe!  Here's mine:

Steak avec sauce au poivre et de Madère

Ingredients

2 steaks, preferably tender, like a strip steak

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 t. canola oil

1/4 C. finely chopped shallot

1/4 C. Madeira wine*

2/3 C. beef broth

1 T. whole black peppercorns

1 t. butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bring steaks to room temperature prior to cooking.  Salt and pepper your steaks, both sides.  Place an oven safe skillet on stovetop and turn on high.  Add canola oil to skillet.  When skillet is hot, (Hot!, but not smoking), carefully add steaks to pan and sear on one side, then after about three minutes, flip over and cook about two to three more minutes.  Be careful to lay the side of the steak you expect to be the top when it's done cooking, face down first.  This is the side that will be face up when served.  When you are done searing, place steaks in oven in the same oven safe skillet they were cooked in.  Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes until desired doneness.  Remove steaks from oven and place on stovetop.  Using tongs, remove steaks from the skillet to rest on a plate nearby.  Get yourself a wooden spoon and get ready to make the sauce.   While the meat is resting, turn on your stove to medium high and add chopped shallots and peppercorns to the skillet, stirring for about two minutes.  Add madeira and beef broth, bring to boil, turn down the heat and stir while simmering until juices reduce.  This step does not take too long.  Add butter to skillet and use your spoon to work it through the sauce.  Plate steaks and pour sauce over each.  You're going to love this and your sweet one will too!

Cooks Note:  Please remember that Madeira contains alcohol which is flammable.  Please be careful when pouring it in your skillet especially if you have a gas range.