Conference turris::cooks

			Gaelic Steak
        		===============

Ingredients for 4		
=================				

800 grammes Rumpsteak (Sirloin or Filet is OK also)
60 grammes Butter
1 Glass of Whiskey (Irish of course)
200 grammes of double cream
chopped Parsley
Salt

Salt the meat on both sides. If the meat has not been tenderized (this is 
normally done by injection with all sorts of horrible hormones before 
slaughter) then use a hammer or rolling pin to tenderize it ( you can also use 
it to hammer the wife-or husband)
Heat the butter in the frying pan and when its very hot put in the meat.
Do for approx. 1 minute on both sides, then reduce the heat and let do to
your taste. 
Now pour on 1/2 glass of whiskey and flambe. 

Remove the meat and leave on a warm dish.

Add the cream to the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon, making sure that nothing
sticks to the pan. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes until the cream starts
to get thick. You may drink the remaining whiskey while you are waiting.
Pour sauce over the meat ( decorate with chopped parsley )and lick your lips.

Serve with baked potato and your favourite vegetable or side salad. A good 
bottle of wine (Cotes De Burg) complements the dish.


		For desert I would recommend Irish Coffee.

I learned this by observation whilst visiting in Tours.

	Steak
	Peppercorns, whole or cracked
	brandy (preferably cognac
	flour
	butter

	For best results, the steak should be at least 0.5 inches thick.
Nearly any cut will do; I prefer porterhouse.

	Take cracked peppercorns (if they're whole, they >could< be used,
but cracking them is better -- into halves) and press into both sides
of meat at intervals of about 1.5 - 2 inches so that they're flush with
surface.
	Broil as normal, but stop when _slightly_ underdone.
	Place in chafing dish.  Decant 1/2 - 1 cup brandy and heat
over flame.  Flambe, basting steak with burning brandy until flames
extinguish naturally.

	Remove steak; put on platter.  Mix steak-juice/brandy leavings with
butter and flour to form a sauce.

	Cut steak to portions (or if small, keep  whole steak), pour sauce
over.  Serve.

	I generally aim for about a 1-lb steak.  A tender boneless steak of
greater proportions can be used if it's to be halved, quartered, or
otherwise divided.

	DON'T SALT until you've tried it as served.

Enjoy.

Addendum to Steak au Poivre recipe:

When I was in Dijon white peppercorns were preferred.

However, over the years, I have developed a taste for an even mix of green,
black, and white.

Cracked is always best.  the best results to be obtained by putting your
whole peppercorns in HEAVY plastic, wrapping the whole in a dish towel,
and judiciously applying a ball-peen hammer to crack the pepper [fresh
cracked has a more piquant flavor] -- I do this on my cellar floor hence the
heavy sheathing.

Spread your cracked peppercorns evenly on the counter or the cutting board
and press the steak firmly into them [my instructor said that this eliminates 
the tediousness of pressing the pepper into the steak -- I have to agree]

anniej

    If you read and follow the directions in the JOY OF COOKING you
    will be amazed.  I use a VERY heavy skillet, lightly coat the bottom
    with salt and heat the pan to almost a molten temp. befor I add
    the meat.  This results in the steak quivering (levitating) approx.
    7 microns off the surface of the pan. Shut of the heat turn the
    meat.  When meat is cut you will notice that the pink is 3/4 of
    way off centre
    
    MY FAVE
    

    The best sauce is made from homemade veal stock, boiled down until
    it's almost syrupy.  Since I doubt you have any lying around, here's
    a method that produces something almost as good.
    
    2 New York strip steaks 
    2 tablespoons coarsely crushed peppercorns
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    3 tablespoons chopped shallots
    1/3 cup red wine
    1/3 cup HEAVY cream
    2 teaspoons lemon juice
    salt to taste
    
    Trim all the fat from the steaks and press the peppercorns into
    both sides.  (Notice I didn't say how big the steaks ought to
    be--that's up to you and your appetite.  This seems to come out
    best with steaks that are 1/2 pound to 3/4 pound apiece.)  Let the
    steaks sit for half an hour.
    
    Melt the butter and oil in a heavy skillet (I use a big cast iron
    one) over medium-high heat.  Put in the steaks and fry on both sides
    until they're done to your liking.  (A steak 3/4" thick takes about
    3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare.  Cut into it and check
    after 6 minutes of cooking if you need to.)  Remove the steaks to
    a plate.
    
    Throw the shallots into the pan, stir around for a minute or two,
    and add the red wine.  Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan, scraping
    up all the browned bits, until the wine is reduced to a couple of
    tablespoons.  Increase the heat to high and pour in the cream. 
    Boil and stir until the cream is thickened (not too thick--just
    until it coats a spoon.)  Squirt in a bit of lemon juice (a teaspoon
    might be enough--taste) and salt.
    
    Spoon the sauce onto warm plates and put a steak in the middle.
     (You can just pour the sauce over, but then you mask the peppercorns
    and it's not as pretty.)  
    
    Note:  You can broil the steaks and serve them with lemon wedges,
    which is also very good--but the peppercorns seem to fall off and
    the absence of a sauce makes the steaks rather harsh-tasting.
    

    They sell green peppercorns at the Mall. Knorr also sells a green
    peppercorn sauce which is pretty good and easy to make. Let me know
    if it helps. Regards, Kim

<<How come nobody told me about this notesfile?  Looks like great fun!>>

This is one that I put together after having a dish by the same name at
Pallian's (now Bannister's) in Stow.  I don't know how they did theirs, but 
I liked mine better.

(Quantities are guesses - I measure only when I bake.)

4 8-oz. boneless steaks 
  (tenderloin, rib-eye, or sirloin)
1-1/2 Tbl. cooking oil
2 med. onions, diced
1 12-oz. pkg. fresh mushrooms
Jar of Dijon mustard
Plenty of coarse ground black pepper
2 Tbl. cooking oil
1/2 - 3/4 c. Canadian or American blended whiskey (I prefer Canadian, the
                       American blends tend to be too heavy on the corn.)

Wash, drain, and slice the mushrooms. Saute diced onions in oil until they
are transluscent and slightly browned. Add mushrooms and saute until the 
mushrooms are slightly reduced in size and darkened - Do not cook the 
mushrooms until they are completely limp.  Remove mushrooms and onions from 
the heat and set them aside.

Thoroughly sprinkle both sides of each steak with black pepper, pound or
roll it in, then generously brush them with mustard.  Heat the oil in a
large, heavy iron skillet over high heat until it smokes. (If you don't
have an iron skillet, you should, but a stainless, enameled, or Teflon
coated pan can be used instead.  I use a well seasoned 14" beast that 
Arnold Schwartzeneger could use for arm curls.)   Add the steaks and pan
broil them over high heat. Some of the mustard will char and may stick to
the pan.  Just scrap it off occasionaly.  This one can be real exciting if
the smoke alarm is sensitive. Cooking time will vary depending upon steak
thickness and desired degree of doneness.  Add the onions and mushrooms,
then pour in the whiskey, and light with a match or lighter.  On a gas
stove you can just slide the pan off center and tip it slightly. It's show
time, folks! Flambe' until the alcohol cooks itself off.  (USE CAUTION,
PARTICULARLY IF YOU'VE NEVER COOKED WITH WHISKEY - IT'S MUCH MORE FLAMMABLE
THAN WINE!) 

Serve with baked, boiled-parslied, or pan fried potatoes, a green 
vegetable, and a tossed or Caesar salad.  Crusty French or Italian bread 
for sopping up the sauce is *de rigueur*, and the wine should be a hearty
red. 

buon'appetito,
Bob Anselmo

    Hello all,
    Whilst I agree with the basic "Steak au poivre" recipe,I was always
    taught by my chef de cuisine to cook the steak in butter and a tad of
    crushed garlic in a very hot pan,quickly of course.The pan is then
    removed from the heat (don't want to incinerate the butter)and the steak 
    put aside on a warm plate.
    The pan is then replaced on the heat and the brandy added,using a
    wooden spatula the base of the pan is scraped so that the dried meat juices 
    are released into the brandy which is then lit to get rid of any alcohol.
    (Alcohol and cream do not mix,you end up with a curdle.)At this stage
    the single cream is added to the pan stirring constantly until the
    sauce begins to thicken.Add the salt if required.The sauce will continue 
    to thicken all the time it is hot so beware.When the sauce is at a nice
    consistency place the steak upon the serving plate,pour the sauce over,
    and serve with a fresh parsley garnish.Parfait!
    
    Recipe: For one person.
    10 oz steak of your choice (I prefer rump)
    Cracked peppercorns to taste.
    Measure of brandy.
    Clove of crushed garlic.
    1 to 2 oz butter.
    salt to taste.
    6 oz single cream.
    Sprig of fresh parsley.
                                                                    

    
    I once knew a chap called Geoff Elliott who came to our house one day
    and cooked a wonderful Steak Au Poivre...surely there can't be two??!!
    
    Min...

    RE: .7  by SLSTRN::MANHECK 
    
    >They sell green peppercorns at the Mall. Knorr also sells a green
    
    You sure they're not capers?
    

    Yo Minnie the moocha!
    How ya doin',and hows the big fella? Get in touch,my mail is Elliott_G
    @sbp. Still got the Nina Simone and I'll blow your doors off with my
    new Cassoulet recipe.
    See you soon,
    Geoff

    Well Geoff, please share that Cassoulet recipe...
    
    Loraine