It's Hot in the Kitchen!

The funniest thing.....
One of the nights that Colin's parents were here, I decided to serve Steak Au Poivre. We had beef tenderloin the night before and so I decided to use the best part of the cut to make 1 1/2 cut steaks. So Steak Au Poivre it was.
Anyways, I think it is a manly man job to burn off the alcohol from the sauce, so I got Colin to do that part. He did a fantastic job, but he lit his thumb on fire (well, the mitt anyways). It was pretty funny. His mom is taking pictures while I'm running to the sink trying to get the fire extinguisher. Luckily, he actually did have it under control and the fire extinguisher was not needed. Dinner was yummy and no one caught anything on fire (well, except the mitt).

Steak Au Poirve from Alton Brown
4 tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup Cognac, plus 1 teaspoon
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt.

Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or using a mallet and pie pan. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean.

Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or firestick. Gently shake pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the teaspoon of Cognac and season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

(Please excuse the naked window.... we are still not finished with the kitchen)