COGNAC STEAK

This is a basic steak recipe with a delicious cream sauce that gets a unique kick of flavor from using cognac and herbs. I usually sous vide my steaks but that is not totally necessary, make your steaks the way you like to.

COGNAC STEAK RECIPE makes two steaks

INGREDIENTS

• 2 steaks of choice I typically use 8oz-10oz New York Strips

• 1 small shallot mined

• 3 cloves of garlic minced + 2 whole cloves if using sous vide method

• 1 sprig of fresh thyme

• 4 tbsp of butter + 2 more tbsp of butter if using sous vide method

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup cognac

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• coarse pepper

• coarse salt

DIRECTIONS

SOUS VIDE STEAK METHOD

1. Trim any hard or thick fats off of your steaks and season well with salt and pepper on all sides.

2. Place the steaks in a vacuum seal bag (if you have a sealer or Food Saver) or into a freezer gallon ziplock bag (make sure it is freezer safe as this plastic is thick enough to protect the steak. Don’t worry, they are BPA free and safe to use in sous vide. You can read here for more info.)

3. Add 1 tbsp of butter per steak in the bag and 2 cloves of garlic. Vacuum seal using your machine or the water submersion method if using a freezer bag.

4. Sous vide your steaks at 135 degrees F.

   1. 2 hours - 1 inch thick

   2. 3 hours- 1.5in-2 inches thick

   3. 4 hours- 2.5+ inches thick

SEAR THE STEAK AND MAKE THE SAUCE

1. Remove your steaks from the bags if using the sous vide method and pat them dry very well. If you are not using the sous vide method, pat your steaks dry very well before seasoning with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a cast iron or steel pan on high with some olive oil. You want it to just barely start to smoke. Once the pan is very hot sear your steaks and cook to your desired done-ness. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

3. Turn off the heat and allow the pan to cool down considerably. Be patient here so we don’t burn the sauce. Once it has cooled down, turn the heat back on to medium-low and add 2 tbsp of butter.

4. Quickly sauté minced garlic, shallot, and the entire sprig of thyme for 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with cognac. Let it cook out the alcohol, roughly 1-2 minutes. It may set on fire, don’t panic, that is evidence that the alcohol is burning off.

5. Add the heavy cream and whisk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Do not bring this sauce to a hard boil or it will break and not be smooth.

6. Add the last 2 tbsp of butter and whisk well. Let the sauce simmer for 5-6 minutes so it can thicken up a bit.

7. Serve your steaks with two generous spoonfuls of sauce or place your steaks directly back into the cast iron pan for a rustic presentation.