Pepper Crusted Beef With Cognac And Golden Raisins Food

FILET OF BEEF WITH RAISIN AND PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Add raisins, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, and rinse raisins under cold running water, and drain again. Place raisins in a small bowl, and pour cognac over. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Season beef with salt, and press peppercorns into the beef to adhere. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add beef to skillet, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter, and keep warm.
• Drain off the fat from the skillet. Add the raisins and cognac, and place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the beef stock, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into very small pieces. While whisking constantly, gradually add the butter to the sauce in the skillet. Continue to whisk until incorporated. Season with salt.
• Return the beef to the skillet, and baste with the sauce. Serve the beef and sauce with potatoes and spinach.

PEPPER-CRUSTED BEEF WITH COGNAC AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• To plump the raisins, heat the cognac in a small saucepan over low heat just to simmering. Remove from the heat. Add the raisins and set aside to plump, about 30 minutes.
• To pan-fry the steak, combine the white, black, and green peppercorns and allspice in a shallow bowl. Season the steaks with salt on both sides and press the peppercorns into one side of the steak.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the steaks, without crowding, pepper side down first, and cook each side for 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the meat to a warm platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• To make the pan sauce, pour off the fat from the skillet. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the raisins and cognac. Return the pan to high heat and bring to a boil. (If you have a gas cooktop especially, watch for flame-ups.) Cook until the mixture is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the beef stock, decrease the heat to medium, and cook until slightly reduced, an additional 2 minutes.
• To finish the sauce with butter, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt. No additional pepper is necessary.
• To serve, return the steaks and any accumulated juices to the skillet and baste with the sauce. Serve immediately.

ROASTED FILLET OF BEEF WITH BLACK PEPPER

Steps:

• Trim meat, removing excess fat and silver skin. Cut off about 4 inches of narrow end, about 1 pound, and reserve for another use.
• Place fillet on large sheet of parchment paper. Dust all over with salt, using 3/4 teaspoon salt to a pound of meat. Roll in peppercorns. Tie with butcher's string at 2-inch intervals. Wrap meat in parchment loosely, and refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.
• Remove fillet from refrigerator an hour before cooking. Rub all over with oil. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sear fillet on all sides in a heavy roasting pan over two burners, under broiler or on grill. Or cut in half and sear in two pieces in large, heavy skillet.
• Place in oven in roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes. Test with instant-read meat thermometer: if thickest part registers about 105 degrees, meat will be very rare when finished. For medium rare, roast 20 to 25 minutes, until thermometer registers 115 degrees. For medium, roast longer, to 125 degrees. At these temperatures, meat will be slightly undercooked, but will continue to cook after it is removed from oven. Place meat on cutting board. Allow it to rest 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove string, cut meat in 1/2-inch thick slices, arrange on a platter, and serve.

PEPPER-CRUSTED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F°.
• Trim fat from tenderloin; fold under 3 inches of small end.
• Rub the tenderloin with oil.
• Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Rub the tenderloin with crumb mixture; coat with cooking spray.
• Place tenderloin on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan.
• Insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of tenderloin.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 425F° (do not remove roast from oven).
• Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the thermometer registers 140° (medium-rare) to 155° (medium).
• Place the tenderloin on a platter, and cover with foil.
• Let stand 10 minutes for tenderloin to reabsorb juices.
• (Temperature of roast will increase 5° upon standing.).
• Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, the sour cream, and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
• Serve with the beef.

FILET MIGNON WITH PEPPERCORN-COGNAC-CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Spread each side of the steaks with a thin layer of the mustard -- using about half of the mustard in the recipe. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to coat well.
• Heat oil and butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks. Cook about 5- minutes on each side or until at your desired doneness.
• Remove steaks from the pan and allow to rest.
• Reduce heat to medium and add shallots to the pan. Saute for about 1 minute. Add cognac and cook for about 30 seconds. Add broth, cream, and remaining mustard. Reduce heat and whisk continuously. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to your taste but remember that the steaks are heavily seasoned.
• Serve steaks with the sauce.

STEAK AU POIVRE (PEPPERED STEAKS WITH COGNAC CREAM SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat the cream until it reduces by half (20-30 minutes).
• In a saute pan, heat the oil and butter.
• Spread crushed peppercorns on a work surface.
• Pat the steaks dry and coat both sides with an even layer of peppercorns, pressing in with heel of hand to make adhere; season to taste with garlic salt.
• Lay the steaks in the pan.
• Sear steaks over high heat to desired doneness (the steaks are medium-rare when they feel slightly resistant to touch and you can see a faint pearling of red juice on the surface).
• Add bouillon, lemon juice, wine, and salt to the sauce, and stir.
• When the steaks have cooked, remove them from the pan; pour in the brandy.
• Ignite the brandy and, once the flames die down, stir to deglaze the pan; then add the brandy to the cream sauce.
• Place each steak on a toasted slice of bread and top with sauce.