Steak Au Poivre with Wild Mushroom and Bourbon Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh coarse ground black pepper 6 center-cut steak fillets, 1 1/2 " thick 1/2 cup bourbon 1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms 1 cup boiling water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup minced shallots 1 clove garlic, minced 3/4 cup heavy cream salt 1. Rub the steaks with the pepper. 2. (The chef recommends coarsely ground versus cracked pepper so that it is less hot and spicy but I've used cracked pepper-in fact more than the recipe calls for-it's your call). 3. Put the steaks in a shallow dish and pour 1/4 cup of the bourbon on them. 4. Cover with plastic and let sit at room temp for 1-2 hours. 5. Put the mushrooms in a small bowl, pour the boiling water over them and let them sit for 20 minutes. 6. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. 7. Remove the mushrooms but save the liquid. 8. Rinse the mushrooms well, cut off any tough bits and discard. 9. Finely chop the mushrooms. 10. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and save 1/2 cup of it. 11. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil and butter over high heat until just beginning to glisten. 12. Add steaks and cook until browned, about 2 minutes a side. 13. Remove from heat and add the other 1/4 cup of bourbon. 14. Stand back, ignite with a long match, then shake the pan until the flames die down. 15. Transfer the filets to a heatproof platter and cook in the oven until done, about 15 min. 16. for medium. 17. Add the garlic and shallots to pan and cook over moderate heat, covered, until soft (about 6-8 min.). 18. Increase the heat to high, add the 1/2 cup of reserved liquid. 19. Cook, stirring constantly, until syrupy, about 2 min. 20. Sir in the cream and cook until slightly reduced, 2-3 min. 21. Stir in the reserved mushrooms, reduce heat to low, and cook 2 more min. 22. Season with salt to taste. 23. Transfer steaks to warmed plates. 24. Stir any juices from the meat into the sauce and spoon over the steaks. 25. Serve immediately.
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