8 servings
PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOKING TIME
30 minutes
TOTAL TIME
40 minutes
4 (1½-inch-thick) bone-in ribeye steaks (about 1½ pounds each)
vegetable oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Black Pepper Sauce
Some people think it’s terrible to put anything on a well-cooked ribeye, but this sauce is special and worth it. In West Africa, pepper sauce is the equivalent of ketchup or Tabasco. It’s on the table everywhere you go: It’s a tomatoey hot sauce made with Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers. At the restaurant, we do a mustardy black pepper sauce: less heat, more tang. It’s delicious.
Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
Preheat a large cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Rub the steaks with oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. When the grill pan is smoking hot, place the steaks in the pan, making sure to not overcrowd it.
Grill the steaks, turning frequently and pressing the edges and bone into the hot pan to sear them, for 12 to 15 minutes for medium-rare, or longer if desired. Remove the steaks and let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with Black Pepper Sauce.
CHEF JJ’S KITCHEN TIPS
Thoroughly pat your steaks dry before oiling and seasoning.
Makes 2 cups
PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOKING TIME
35 minutes
TOTAL TIME
40 minutes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
2 shallots, sliced
kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅓ cup brandy
2 tablespoons jarred green peppercorns (optional)
¼ cup whole black peppercorns, soaked in 1 cup water overnight, drained
1½ cups veal or low-sodium beef stock
¾ cup heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper
In a 2-quart saucepan, melt one cube of butter over medium heat. Stir in the shallots and sprinkle with salt. Cook until the shallots become translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the thyme and mustard.
Cook for about 3 minutes, then pour in the brandy to deglaze the pan. Let the sauce simmer and reduce by one quarter, about 5 minutes.
Add the peppercorns and stock and bring back to a simmer. Once the sauce has reduced by half, about 15 minutes, stir in the cream and simmer for 5 additional minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and using a stick immersion blender, blend in the remaining cubes of butter until the sauce is completely smooth.