SERVES 4
To save time, crush the peppercorns and trim the steaks while the broth mixture simmers. Many pepper mills do not have a sufficiently coarse setting. In that case, crush peppercorns with the back of a heavy pan. Click here for information on our top-rated pepper mill.
4 |
tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter |
1 |
medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons) |
1 |
cup beef broth |
¾ |
cup low-sodium chicken broth |
4 |
(8- to 10-ounce) strip steaks, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed |
Table salt |
|
4 |
teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed (see note) |
1 |
tablespoon vegetable oil |
¼ |
cup plus 1 tablespoon brandy |
¼ |
cup heavy cream |
1 |
teaspoon juice from 1 lemon or 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar |
1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and chicken broths and bring to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 8 minutes. Transfer the broth mixture to a small bowl; wipe out the skillet with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt. Sprinkle one side of each steak with 1 teaspoon of the crushed peppercorns and press them into the steaks with your fingers to adhere.
3. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the steaks in the skillet, peppered side up. Press on the steaks with the bottom of a cake pan and cook until well-browned on the first side, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the steaks over and continue to cook, pressing again with the cake pan, until the center of the steaks registers 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer for rare (3 minutes), 125 degrees for medium-rare (4 minutes), or 130 degrees for medium (5 minutes). Transfer the steaks to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and let rest while making the sauce.
4. Pour off any fat left in the pan and remove any stray peppercorns. Add the broth mixture, ¼ cup of the brandy, and the cream to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until golden brown and thickened, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon brandy, the lemon juice, and any accumulated meat juices from the plate; season with salt to taste. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately.