Friday, April 29, 2011

FFWD - Bistrot Paul Bert Pepper Steak & Steak Frites



Lately I've been holding cooking marathons on the weekends where I knock out several recipes. Cooking is relaxing for me so it's a perfect weekend activity, but with three cooking groups, it's also a way for me to stay ahead of schedule.

The downside is that I cook a dish, and then have trouble remembering much about it when I go to blog about it a few weeks later. That's kind of the situation with the Bistrot Paul Bert Pepper Steak for this week's French Fridays with Dorie.

I remember that I wanted to buy filet mignon, but it was way too expensive. Ribeye steaks were my second choice, but they were too pricey as well. So I picked up a couple of strip steaks. Still not inexpensive, but reasonable.

The steaks are started by sprinkling the steaks with ground peppercorns. My husband is extremely sensitive to any kind of heat, including black pepper, so I used a light sprinkle of ground pepper on his and a more generous rough and tumble sprinkle of peppercorns that I ground with my mortar and pestle on the steak my daughter and I would share.

Cooked in a butter and oil mixture over high heat in a cast iron skillet, the steaks cook very quickly. The perfectly cooked steaks, tender and juicy inside and nicely crusted on the outside, are removed from the skillet to rest. A pan sauce is made by removing the fat from the pan and then adding Cognac or brandy to the pan. I cook on an electric stove, so making a flame with the alcohol is really not an option. Instead, I let the brandy cook down a bit. Cream is swirled in, and you are done.

I had issues with the cream cooking too quickly and ended up with a thick paste like gravy instead of a smooth, delicate sauce. My second attempt was slightly more successful, but I still don't think it worked as well as it should have. I used a very large skillet, and that may have been the problem - too much surface area. The flavor was wonderful though and a great addition to the steaks.

Steak frites seemed like a natural with this dish, so I made the les frites that Dorie wrote about in a sidebar next to this recipe. While this method of par boiling the fries in oil and then doing a second fry at a higher temperature resulted in a delicious fry, it was a bit too much work for french fries at home.

Guess I actually remembered plenty! My family and I truly enjoyed this deceptively simple recipe!
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15 comments:

  1. Sounds great! Those frites look pretty tasty.
    I know I changed the amount of pepper on each steak depending on who was going to eat it.

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  2. I agree with Cher, those frites look amazing! And the steak looks great, too! :)

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  3. Looks great. I didn't make frites yesterday, but after seeing this picture, I want some today! ha! I agree that the 2-step cooking process for the frites that Dorie talks about sounds like a lot of work if you're not in a restaurant setting, where you need huge batches to fry up quickly.

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  4. Too much work for those fries. I have a secret method..so far nobody on my post has picked up on it. Oh well. Great looking steaks!

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  5. Mmm, the steak and frites both look delicious!

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  6. best part of this recipe, you can use this technique with any steak or chop, for that matter.

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  7. Looks wonderful to me;-) Wow, I'm impressed that you participate in three cooking groups, I wouldn't know if I was coming or going;-)

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  8. It is very elegant, yet it seems relatively quick. How terrific.

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  9. I tried making twice fried frites one day for a dinner party (closest of friends thankfully) and it was so stressing with the oil temperature fluctuating crazily and people kind of getting on my nerves that think I just got turned off the whole doing my own fried fries. I'll have to look into Trevor's secret method!

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  10. I think I'm definitely going to try this next time with NY strip. Great post!

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  11. I also enjoy the strip steak and because it is more reasonably priced I enjoy it even more! And I understand totally about cooking being a way to relax...I cook also to relax...especially baking. Enjoyed your post.

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  12. I actually thought those were store bought fries - they looked perfect ! Also nice to know that the other cuts of meat work well. Don't want to get my family too used to filet :) Nana took a bye this week but posted an Easter family recipe. A great French Friday all around !

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  13. It all looks wonderful, and I agree with Tricia, the fries are perfectly cut.

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  14. You've done a wonderful job with the challenge. It looks beautiful and sounds delicious. This is my first visit here, but it will not be my last. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent here. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  15. Candy, , I've tagged you over at my blog for a game of food tag, if you care to play!

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