Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (173 page)
MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
2
CUP, ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
PEPPER-CRUSTED FILETS MIGNONS
1¹⁄ | ounces mild blue cheese, room temperature |
3 | tablespoons unsalted butter, softened |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh chives |
Combine blue cheese, butter, and salt in medium bowl and mix with stiff rubber spatula until smooth. Fold in chives. While steaks are resting, spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons butter onto each one.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP, ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
PEPPER-CRUSTED FILETS MIGNONS
1¹⁄ | cups port |
¹⁄ | cup balsamic vinegar |
¹⁄ | cup dried tart cherries |
1 | shallot, minced |
2 | sprigs fresh thyme |
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
Salt |
1.
Combine port, vinegar, cherries, shallot, and thyme in medium saucepan; simmer over medium-low heat until liquid has reduced to about ¹⁄
3
cup, about 30 minutes. Set aside, covered.
2.
While steaks are resting, reheat sauce. Off heat, remove thyme, then whisk in butter until melted. Season with salt to taste; spoon over steak and serve.
BEEF—GETTING A GOOD GRADE
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assigns different quality grades to beef, but most of the meat available to consumers is confined to just three: prime, choice, and select. Grading is strictly voluntary on the part of the meat packer. If meat is graded, the meat should bear a USDA stamp indicating the grade, though it may not be visible to the consumer. To grade meat, inspectors evaluate color, grain, surface texture, and fat content and distribution. Prime meat (often available only at butcher shops) has a deep maroon color, fine-grained muscle tissue, and a smooth surface that is silky to the touch. It also contains fat that is evenly distributed and creamy white instead of yellow, which indicates an older animal that may have tougher meat. Choice beef has less marbling than prime, and select beef is leaner still.
Our blind tasting of all three grades of rib-eye steaks produced predictable results: Prime ranked first for its tender, buttery texture and rich, beefy flavor. Next came choice, with good meaty flavor and a little more chew. The tough and stringy select steak followed, with flavor that was barely acceptable. Our advice: When you’re willing to splurge, go for prime steak (which in our sampling cost $3 per pound more than the choice meat), but a choice steak that exhibits a moderate amount of marbling is a fine, affordable option. Just steer clear of select-grade steak.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Steak
au poivre
is a simple dish, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to execute well. All too often the peppercorns fall off the steak, revealing an underbrowned crust, while the peppercorn coating prevents the steak from forming drippings in the skillet that are the foundation of a rich sauce. We peppered only one side of the steak, which allowed the unpeppered side a chance to brown and create a fond in the skillet. Cooking the steaks for less time on the peppered side also prevented the peppercorns from scorching. For the sauce, we reduced a combination of chicken broth and beef broth, then used this reduction to deglaze the skillet. Brandy, cream, and butter were the finishing touches to our rich, flavorful pan sauce.
SERVES 4
To save time, crush the peppercorns and trim the steaks while the broth mixture simmers. To crush the peppercorns, spread half of them on a cutting board, place a skillet on top, and, pressing down firmly with both hands, use a rocking motion to crush the peppercorns beneath the “heel” of the skillet. Repeat with the remaining peppercorns.
SAUCE
4 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | shallot, minced |
1 | cup beef broth |
³⁄ | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
¹⁄ | cup heavy cream |
¹⁄ | cup plus 1 tablespoon brandy |
1 | teaspoon lemon juice or champagne vinegar |
Salt |
STEAKS
4 | (8- to 10-ounce) boneless strip steaks, ³⁄ |
Salt | |
4 | teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed |
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
1. FOR THE SAUCE:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat; add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add beef and chicken broths, increase heat to high, and boil until reduced to about ¹⁄
2
cup, about 8 minutes. Set reduced broth mixture aside. Rinse and wipe out skillet.
2. FOR THE STEAKS:
Meanwhile, pat steaks dry with paper towels and season both sides of steaks with salt; rub 1 side of each steak with 1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns, and, using fingers, press peppercorns into steaks to make them adhere.
3.
Heat oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Lay steaks, unpeppered side down, in skillet, increase heat to medium-high, firmly press down on steaks with bottom of cake pan, and cook steaks without moving them until well browned, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip steaks, firmly press down on steaks with bottom of cake pan, and cook on peppered side, until meat registers
115 to 120 degrees (for rare), 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), or 130 to 135 degrees (for medium), 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer steaks to large plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
4.
While meat is resting, pour reduced broth, cream, and ¹⁄
4
cup brandy into now-empty skillet; increase heat to high and bring to boil, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Simmer until deep golden brown and thick enough to heavily coat back of metal tablespoon or soupspoon, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 1 tablespoon brandy, lemon juice, and any accumulated meat juices. Season with salt to taste.
5.
Arrange steaks on platter or individual plates, spoon sauce over steaks, and serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Steak
frites
is a Parisian bistro classic; when done right, the steak is cooked to perfection and the fries are fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside—even when bathed in the juices from the meat. We wanted to re-create this restaurant favorite in our own kitchen, and we started with the fries. We determined that the fries needed to be cooked in two batches, a procedure that minimizes the drop in oil temperature that naturally occurs when potatoes (high-starch russets were the best choice) are added to frying oil. Our real breakthrough in our steak frites recipe, however, occurred when we coated the fries with a layer of cornstarch, which added a protective sheath around each fry. For the steaks, we found that thick rib eyes gave us plenty of time to get a good sear on the outside without overcooking the interior.
SERVES 4
In order to have four steaks that fit in a skillet at the same time, it is necessary to buy two 1-pound steaks and cut them in half according to their thickness. If your steaks are 1¹⁄
4
to 1³⁄
4
inches thick, cut them in half vertically into small, thick steaks. If your steaks are thicker than 1³⁄
4
inches, cut them in half horizontally into two thinner steaks. Make sure to dry the potatoes well before tossing them with the cornstarch. For safety, use a Dutch oven with a capacity of at least 7 quarts. Use refined peanut oil (such as Planters) to fry the potatoes, not toasted peanut oil. A 12-inch skillet is essential for cooking four steaks at once. The ingredients can be halved to serve two—keep the oil amount the same and forgo blanching and frying the potatoes in batches.
2¹⁄ | pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed, sides squared off and cut lengthwise into ¹⁄ |
2 | tablespoons cornstarch |
3 | quarts peanut oil |
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
2 | (1-pound) boneless strip or rib-eye steaks, cut in half |
Kosher salt and pepper | |
1 | recipe |
1.
Rinse cut potatoes in bowl under cold running water until water turns clear. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
2.
Pour off water, spread potatoes onto kitchen towels, and dry thoroughly. Transfer potatoes to bowl and toss with cornstarch until evenly coated. Transfer potatoes to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and let rest until fine white coating forms, about 20 minutes.
3.
Meanwhile, heat peanut oil in Dutch oven over medium heat to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with brown paper bag or triple layer of paper towels.
4.
Add half of potatoes, a handful at a time, to hot oil and increase heat to high. Fry, stirring with wire skimmer or slotted spoon, until potatoes start to turn from white to blond, 4 to 5 minutes. (Oil temperature will drop about 75 degrees during this frying.) Transfer fries to prepared baking sheet. Return oil to 325 degrees and repeat with remaining potatoes. Reduce heat to medium and let fries cool while cooking steaks, at least 10 minutes. (Recipe can be prepared through step 4 up to 2 hours in advance; turn off heat under oil, turning heat back to medium when you start step 6.)
5.
Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Meanwhile, pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lay steaks in pan, leaving ¹⁄
4
inch between them. Cook, without moving steaks, until well browned, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip steaks and continue to cook until meat registers 115 to 120 degrees (for rare) or 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 3 to 7 minutes. Transfer steaks to large plate, top with herb butter, and tent loosely with aluminum foil; let rest while finishing fries.
6.
Increase heat under Dutch oven to high and heat oil to 375 degrees. Add half of fries, a handful at a time, and fry until golden brown and puffed, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to clean brown paper bag or paper towels. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining fries. Season fries with salt and serve with steaks.
MAKES
¹⁄
4
CUP, ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
STEAK FRITES
4 | tablespoons unsalted butter, softened |
¹⁄ | shallot, minced |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh parsley |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh chives |
1 | garlic clove, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
Combine all ingredients in bowl.
