Mean Chef'S Steak Au Poivre - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 (6 -8 ounce) New York strip steaks or 4 sirloin steaks, 3/4 inch thick, patted dry
salt
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black peppercorns or 1 mixture of various peppercorn
olive oil, for the pan
1 cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir)
4 -6 tablespoons butter, sliced

Preparation

Heat the oven to 500\u00b0F.
Sprinkle the steaks with salt on both sides, and then press the ground peppercorns into the steaks on both sides.
Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough olive oil to make a light film.
When the oil is very hot, add the steaks, cooking until nicely browned on one side, about 3 minute.
(If the pan is small, work in batches.) Flip the meat over and put the skillet in the oven.
For medium-rare steaks, roast for 3 minutes for 6-ounce steaks; 4 minutes for 8-ounce steaks.
Check for doneness with the tip of a knife or by pressing with your fingertips, keeping in mind that the steaks will cook a bit more as they sit.
Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and tent with foil.
With a spoon, remove any fat from the skillet.
Put the skillet back on the burner and heat to medium high.
Add the wine and cook until it's reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. REMOVE PAN FROM THE HEAT.
Whisk in the butter a slice at a time, whisking until completely melted.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, drizzle the sauce over the steaks, and serve immediately with more sauce on the side.
Variations: add shallots to the pan sauce, finish with chopped parsley.
substitute 4 tbl cognac and 1/2 cup dark stock in place of the wine.
substitute 1/4 cup cream and 1/4 cup cognac for the wine- reduce slightly to thicken.