Foodies Unite!

[jones]

Seriously I want steak au poivre right now. I've been craving it all damn day.

I know that they are all over the interweb, but do you mind to share your recipe?  Where did you get it?

[mjkoehler]

Seriously I want steak au poivre right now. I've been craving it all damn day.

I know that they are all over the interweb, but do you mind to share your recipe?  Where did you get it?

I just took the "standard" recipe and slighty modified it. Take a good cut with some nice marbeling, trim away big chunks of excess fat, but not all, you need it. Normally you pan sear the steak, however I throw mine on the grill. I use just straight black tellycherries for my peppercorns. You will want to grind them a little to get a very course ground. If needed, you can brush some olive oil on the meat to help stick. 2-3 minutes each side for a nice crisp sear (either pan or grill). You want a medium doneness. pinking red and juicy but not bloody as hell. Sauce usually starts with the stuff left on the bottom of the pan. If you grill, you will need to melt butter. Add more gourse ground pepper corns, start whisking in heavy cream, it will thicken as it heats. I use Brandy. You do not need the expensive stuff either, good old E&J works fine. Careful with it however, as is the case when using any booze to cook with. Cook until sauce is getting thicker (take a spoon and coat the back with sauce and run your finger across it and if the path you make stays you are where you want to be), season to taste, add in your steaks that have been resting to finish them off. Plate and top with sauce.

I rambled there, but it's really a very simple dish. I like grilling over the pan method as it's much less messy, however the pan sear does give a superior sear and your sauce is even better as you get all that wonderful brown bits from the cooking process. There is an episode of Good Eats where Alton makes it. It's an excellent one to watch on making it.

[jones]

Seriously I want steak au poivre right now. I've been craving it all damn day.

I know that they are all over the interweb, but do you mind to share your recipe?  Where did you get it?

I just took the "standard" recipe and slighty modified it. Take a good cut with some nice marbeling, trim away big chunks of excess fat, but not all, you need it. Normally you pan sear the steak, however I throw mine on the grill. I use just straight black tellycherries for my peppercorns. You will want to grind them a little to get a very course ground. If needed, you can brush some olive oil on the meat to help stick. 2-3 minutes each side for a nice crisp sear (either pan or grill). You want a medium doneness. pinking red and juicy but not bloody as hell. Sauce usually starts with the stuff left on the bottom of the pan. If you grill, you will need to melt butter. Add more gourse ground pepper corns, start whisking in heavy cream, it will thicken as it heats. I use Brandy. You do not need the expensive stuff either, good old E&J works fine. Careful with it however, as is the case when using any booze to cook with. Cook until sauce is getting thicker (take a spoon and coat the back with sauce and run your finger across it and if the path you make stays you are where you want to be), season to taste, add in your steaks that have been resting to finish them off. Plate and top with sauce.

I rambled there, but it's really a very simple dish. I like grilling over the pan method as it's much less messy, however the pan sear does give a superior sear and your sauce is even better as you get all that wonderful brown bits from the cooking process. There is an episode of Good Eats where Alton makes it. It's an excellent one to watch on making it.

Thanks.  It doesn't seem like I can get a good crisp sear with my gas grill (showing about 400 F).  Maybe I could pan sear and then move it to the grill?  I have some filet and filet strips flash frozen in the freezer.  Maybe we'll try it this weekend.

Now I'm hungry.

[Crispy]

A gas grill?! Horrors! Get yourself a Weber, man. I prefer ribeyes for this sort of thing, and I like to coat the steak with coffee also, after the seasoning. Dylan might be able to quote the way I told him how to do it at Telluride a few years ago...

I love au poivre, and I'm going to try that in the pan this weekend. I do something similar with pork chops, garlic, pineapple juice and cream, served over coconut rice.

[jones]

[highlight]A gas grill?! Horrors![/highlight] Get yourself a Weber, man. I prefer ribeyes for this sort of thing, and I like to coat the steak with coffee also, after the seasoning. Dylan might be able to quote the way I told him how to do it at Telluride a few years ago...

I love au poivre, and I'm going to try that in the pan this weekend. I do something similar with pork chops, garlic, pineapple juice and cream, served over coconut rice.

:-[It came with the house we just moved into and has an underground line run to it from our large tank that goes into the house, so it's just as easy as cooking on the range.  My charcoal grill is at the house that we are trying to sell.  I definitely prefer charcoal, but I have to admit that I am now grilling 2-3 times a week which is a lot more than I did with charcoal.  I am a fiend for convenience.

I don't want to get a bad reputation around here. :-/

[Crispy]

[highlight]A gas grill?! Horrors![/highlight] Get yourself a Weber, man. I prefer ribeyes for this sort of thing, and I like to coat the steak with coffee also, after the seasoning. Dylan might be able to quote the way I told him how to do it at Telluride a few years ago...

I love au poivre, and I'm going to try that in the pan this weekend. I do something similar with pork chops, garlic, pineapple juice and cream, served over coconut rice.

:-[It came with the house we just moved into and has an underground line run to it from our large tank that goes into the house, so it's just as easy as cooking on the range.  My charcoal grill is at the house that we are trying to sell.  I definitely prefer charcoal, but I have to admit that I am now grilling 2-3 times a week which is a lot more than I did with charcoal.  I am a fiend for convenience.

I don't want to get a bad reputation around here. :-/

Oh man, I used to live in a house that had one of those permanent gas grills hooked to the gas line...and it was AWESOME. 30 years of seasoning in that thing, and too easy. Only problem was it wouldn't get hot enough for steak. With newspaper in the chimney starter and red oak hard wood charcoal, though, I find charcoal to be easy enough, but not quite 3 times a week easy.

[mjkoehler]

[highlight]A gas grill?! Horrors![/highlight] Get yourself a Weber, man. I prefer ribeyes for this sort of thing, and I like to coat the steak with coffee also, after the seasoning. Dylan might be able to quote the way I told him how to do it at Telluride a few years ago...

I love au poivre, and I'm going to try that in the pan this weekend. I do something similar with pork chops, garlic, pineapple juice and cream, served over coconut rice.

:-[It came with the house we just moved into and has an underground line run to it from our large tank that goes into the house, so it's just as easy as cooking on the range.  My charcoal grill is at the house that we are trying to sell.  I definitely prefer charcoal, but I have to admit that I am now grilling 2-3 times a week which is a lot more than I did with charcoal.  I am a fiend for convenience.

I don't want to get a bad reputation around here. :-/

Oh man, I used to live in a house that had one of those permanent gas grills hooked to the gas line...and it was AWESOME. 30 years of seasoning in that thing, and too easy. Only problem was it wouldn't get hot enough for steak. With newspaper in the chimney starter and red oak hard wood charcoal, though, I find charcoal to be easy enough, but not quite 3 times a week easy.

Coffee encrusted steak is excellent also. Last time at Epcot, I had a coffee encrusted bone in steak with hazlenut butter. Pretty much filled my shorts it was so good.

[Ruckus]

[highlight]A gas grill?! Horrors![/highlight] Get yourself a Weber, man. I prefer ribeyes for this sort of thing, and I like to coat the steak with coffee also, after the seasoning. Dylan might be able to quote the way I told him how to do it at Telluride a few years ago...

I love au poivre, and I'm going to try that in the pan this weekend. I do something similar with pork chops, garlic, pineapple juice and cream, served over coconut rice.

:-[It came with the house we just moved into and has an underground line run to it from our large tank that goes into the house, so it's just as easy as cooking on the range.  My charcoal grill is at the house that we are trying to sell.  I definitely prefer charcoal, but I have to admit that I am now grilling 2-3 times a week which is a lot more than I did with charcoal.  I am a fiend for convenience.

I don't want to get a bad reputation around here. :-/

Oh man, I used to live in a house that had one of those permanent gas grills hooked to the gas line...and it was AWESOME. 30 years of seasoning in that thing, and too easy. Only problem was it wouldn't get hot enough for steak. With newspaper in the chimney starter and red oak hard wood charcoal, though, I find charcoal to be easy enough, but not quite 3 times a week easy.

Poor reputation attained. ;)  Its bad enough to have northeastern friends with gas grills but you guys in the midwest and south have no excuse.   ;D  I'm actually just jealous.  I moved from a house with a small yard a year ago into a one bedroom apartment with only a tiny courtyard so I left my grill for the next renters if they wanted to keep it.  It was a Weber barrel, the only kind I've ever chose to use.  So shamefully, I have no grilled at my own place in a little over a year.  It sucks

[jones]

[highlight]A gas grill?! Horrors![/highlight] Get yourself a Weber, man. I prefer ribeyes for this sort of thing, and I like to coat the steak with coffee also, after the seasoning. Dylan might be able to quote the way I told him how to do it at Telluride a few years ago...

I love au poivre, and I'm going to try that in the pan this weekend. I do something similar with pork chops, garlic, pineapple juice and cream, served over coconut rice.

:-[It came with the house we just moved into and has an underground line run to it from our large tank that goes into the house, so it's just as easy as cooking on the range.  My charcoal grill is at the house that we are trying to sell.  I definitely prefer charcoal, but I have to admit that I am now grilling 2-3 times a week which is a lot more than I did with charcoal.  I am a fiend for convenience.

I don't want to get a bad reputation around here. :-/

Oh man, I used to live in a house that had one of those permanent gas grills hooked to the gas line...and it was AWESOME. 30 years of seasoning in that thing, and too easy. Only problem was it wouldn't get hot enough for steak. With newspaper in the chimney starter and red oak hard wood charcoal, though, I find charcoal to be easy enough, but not quite 3 times a week easy.

[highlight]Poor reputation attained.[/highlight] ;)  Its bad enough to have northeastern friends with gas grills but you guys in the midwest and south have no excuse.   ;D  I'm actually just jealous.  I moved from a house with a small yard a year ago into a one bedroom apartment with only a tiny courtyard so I left my grill for the next renters if they wanted to keep it.  It was a Weber barrel, the only kind I've ever chose to use.  So shamefully, I have no grilled at my own place in a little over a year.  It sucks

Finally!

[mjkoehler]

I kinda like my gas grill. We use it many times during the week in the summer. I just cannot do that with charcol. It's VERY well seasoned. Plus I can throw a smoke box with some wood chips or use dried corn cobs if smokey flavor is needed. If it's someonething extra special I can alway borrow my FIL's Weber. In addition, I have a sweet firepit that I could always cook over when I throw some oak logs that I have in it. That's more of a fall thing however.

[ALady]

I love my li'l gas grill...   :-/  

[Crispy]

I love my li'l gas grill...   :-/  

Get yourself a li'l Weber and you'll love it more... ;)

Oh, and I meant "Royal Oak" hardwood charcoal above.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[ALady]

I'd love to but I don't think I can have one in my building   :-[

And the gas grill is so easy to use and clean...

[megalicious]

mmm.... food grilled over charcoal tastes so good.

we need a nomnom emoticon. for now, use your imagination, and let this suffice:
;D

[mjkoehler]

mmm.... food grilled over charcoal tastes so good.

we need a nomnom emoticon. for now, use your imagination, and let this suffice:
;D

Something like this?

[aMillionDreams]

Ruckus, what did you think of Kitchen Confidential?

[Ruckus]

Ruckus, what did you think of Kitchen Confidential?

About 60 pages to go actually but have loved it so far.  Pure Tony

[Ruckus]

Ruckus, what did you think of Kitchen Confidential?

Just finished it yesterday.  I thought it was a great book.  The Baltimore City Paper had a great review of his new book this week.  Here's the link.  http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=20327

Kitchen Confidential kind of reinforced my feelings of what a contradiction that Bourdain is and his afterword written many years after KC's initial publication acknowledges as much.  That's why I thought the review above was so well written.  I know I'm biased but I found his brief chapter on his experience in Japan to be one of my favorites.  

I know you said that you liked the book.  Anything stand out?  I'm looking forward to reading this new one.  The more restrained, I'm now that douchebag celebrity that I railed against perspective should be a change of pace.

[aMillionDreams]

Ruckus, what did you think of Kitchen Confidential?

Just finished it yesterday.  I thought it was a great book.  The Baltimore City Paper had a great review of his new book this week.  Here's the link.  http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=20327

Kitchen Confidential kind of reinforced my feelings of what a contradiction that Bourdain is and his afterword written many years after KC's initial publication acknowledges as much.  That's why I thought the review above was so well written.  I know I'm biased but I found his brief chapter on his experience in Japan to be one of my favorites.  

I know you said that you liked the book.  Anything stand out?  I'm looking forward to reading this new one.  The more restrained, I'm now that douchebag celebrity that I railed against perspective should be a change of pace.

My favorite chapter is probably the one called Adam Last-Name-Unknown.  I have a lot of friends like that and his storytelling ability really comes through in that chapter.  I was struck by how he was able to work so hard on so many drugs and I'm a guy with some experience with that.  I loved his honesty and high level of self awareness. Like when he talks about what a little shit he was as a kid, or how spite has always been his biggest motivator, or how he decided to be a chef when he saw his head chef banging a bride in her wedding dress while her husband ate the meal he'd just prepared.  A lot of the food terms went over my head but it was still a fantastic read. You?

[Ruckus]

Ruckus, what did you think of Kitchen Confidential?

Just finished it yesterday.  I thought it was a great book.  The Baltimore City Paper had a great review of his new book this week.  Here's the link.  http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=20327

Kitchen Confidential kind of reinforced my feelings of what a contradiction that Bourdain is and his afterword written many years after KC's initial publication acknowledges as much.  That's why I thought the review above was so well written.  I know I'm biased but I found his brief chapter on his experience in Japan to be one of my favorites.  

I know you said that you liked the book.  Anything stand out?  I'm looking forward to reading this new one.  The more restrained, I'm now that douchebag celebrity that I railed against perspective should be a change of pace.

My favorite chapter is probably the one called Adam Last-Name-Unknown.  I have a lot of friends like that and his storytelling ability really comes through in that chapter.  I was struck by how he was able to work so hard on so many drugs and I'm a guy with some experience with that.  I loved his honesty and high level of self awareness. Like when he talks about what a little shit he was as a kid, or how spite has always been his biggest motivator, or how he decided to be a chef when he saw his head chef banging a bride in her wedding dress while her husband ate the meal he'd just prepared.  A lot of the food terms went over my head but it was still a fantastic read. You?

Having worked in smaller kitchens years ago, much of it hit home in one way or another because I know kitchens nowadays aren't run the same way they were even ten years ago when I was in the trenches.  I remember running "specials" every week which always meant "must get out of fridge ASAP."  His recollection of experiencing that first oyster on the boat in France and his life changing meal in Japan hit me the hardest.  It's how I experience food and not because I'm trying to make it a big deal.  Food just hits me that hard.  His constant acknowledgment of the dedication, ability and importance of the Latino population in the restaurant industry was sincere and necessary, particularly at the time it was written.

I'm trying to get my hands on his new one if it pops up at the library.