Love is in the air today as we celebrate Valentine’s Day! What better way to show the special person in your life that you care for them than a delicious home cooked meal?
Today, we are serving up our take on the classic steakhouse dinner that will save your wallet without having to settle on flavor.
Let us dive into my take of the popular French dish: Steak au poivre. I am serving it with a bed of garden vegetables and garlic herb mashed potato that will wow any guest! The recipe is simple, easy, and affordable.
Directions:
First you want to start off with a good cut of steak. I suggest a NY strip steak, filet mignon or ribeye.
Take your steak, pat it dry and let it come to room temperature by adding spicy mustard, and the seasoning below. Let the flavors marinate for at least an hour. Once marinated add the steak to a hot cast iron pan with light olive oil. Make sure to add extra cracked black pepper for deep flavor. Sear on each side — once done, let it rest for 10 minutes on its own.
Steak ingredients:
- 2 tsps. olive oil
- 4 tsps. butter
- 2 Fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 Fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 Fresh garlic cloves
- 2 Fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- Salt & pepper
- Montreal steak seasoning to taste
- Garlic powder
Add the seasoning to your taste preference as little or as much as desired.
Now to the mashed potatoes.
Peel and boil Yukon gold potatoes until fork tender. The more tender it is, the creamier it will be. Drain the water and in the warm pan (kept on low) add butter, sour cream, fresh chives, heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat off.
The vegetables are the easiest part of this dish.
Heat up your cast iron skillet, add butter, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic.
For the mashed potatoes — take peeled Yukon gold potatoes cooked well done in heavily salted water. It should taste like the ocean. Mash the potatoes then add the ingredients below in no specific order. No need to measure just add to desired creaminess.
- 3 tsps. Butter
- A big dollop of Sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Several sprigs chopped chives
Then add to the pan and heat up on low.
Now moving on to the vegetables.
Sauté them in butter with freshly smashed garlic, cook carrots for 5 minutes then add broccolini — if you like your carrots tender, then cook them longer.
Now on to the sauce.
Sauté vegetables until translucent, season them with salt and pepper to your liking. Add the cognac of your choice — I used Hennessy — and then work in your cream and butter until thick and smooth.
Sauce and vegetable ingredients:
- 1 large shallot chopped finely
- 2 scallions chopped finely
- 3 garlic cloves chopped finely
- 1 large onion chopped finely
- 1/3 cup of cognac
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Happy Valentine’s Day and enjoy this special dinner with someone you love!
