Feb 10

Feb 10 Best French Method for Cooking a Steak

Here’s a quintessentially French way to cook a steak, with an easy shallot-mustard-brandy pan sauce, that’s ready in less than 30 minutes.

The recipe is from my cookbook, The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day. I am currently working on a new edition of this book, to be published early next year. Stay tuned!

Here’s the recipe. It’s one of my favorites, and I hope it becomes one of yours, too.

Beef Tenderloin Steaks with
Shallot-Brandy-Mustard Sauce

As written, this recipe serves four, but you can easily cook just two steaks. Use a smaller skillet—but don’t halve the sauce ingredients. Why not enjoy extra sauce, as long as you’re making it?

4 6-ounce, 1-inch-thick tenderloin steaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup brandy, Cognac, or Armagnac
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper, to taste. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook, turning as needed, to the desired doneness (10-12 minutes for medium-rare). Reduce heat as necessary if the meat browns too quickly.

Transfer the steaks to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the shallot to the skillet and sauté briefly until translucent. Remove the pan from heat and add the broth and brandy, taking care not to let the liquid splatter.

Return the pan to the stove and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring with a whisk to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil until the liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 2-3 minutes depending on the stove and the pan size.

Whisk in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Then, whisk in the remaining butter. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the steaks on 4 dinner plates, spoon the sauce over the steaks, top with the parsley, and serve.

The elegant an easy Belgian Endive Salad. Simply toss endive leaves with a vinaigrette (I make mine with 3 tablespoons walnut oil or olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar, plus salt and pepper to taste.) Add blue cheese and toasted walnuts.

Make It a Menu
Here’s what I’m serving with this recipe:
• Endive Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts (see photo, above).
• Steak with Brandy Mustard Sauce (recipe, above), with Pan-Fried Potatoes and French-style green beans.
• Chocolate Pot-de-Creme for Two