Steak au Poivre

For the steak:

1½"-thick New York strip steak

Salt and pepper to season steak

1 tbsp. whole black peppercorns

2tbsp. Olive oil

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

3 tbsp. butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1/4 cup cognac or brandy

1/2 cup heavy cream

Flaky sea salt and fresh chopped parsley to finish

Directions:

1. Pat steaks dry and cut off extra fat from the sides of the steak. Season both sides with salt and a generous amount of ground pepper.

2. Coarsely crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle (it should be a lot coarser than ground pepper).

3. Heat oil in a large pan, over medium-high heat. Cook steak until a golden brown crust forms, about 4 minutes. Turn over and cook on second side until golden brown. Remove the steak to let rest.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 3 Tbsp. butter to the pan along with finely chopped garlic and shallot. Cook, stirring often, until shallot and garlic are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and add cognac to pan. Set over medium heat and cook until cognac is mostly evaporated and spoon leaves streaks in skillet while stirring, 1–2 minutes. Add cream and crushed peppercorns, bring to a simmer, and cook until sauce coats spoon, about 1 minute. Season with salt.

6. Slice steaks and transfer to a platter. Pour any juices from cutting board back into skillet and stir into sauce. Spoon sauce generously over steak; sprinkle with sea salt and fresh chopped parsley. 

For the fresh cut French fries:

4 Russet potatoes

Vegetable or Peanut oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Peel and rinse the potatoes,  slice them into thin slices . Place the fries in a large bowl and rinse them with cold water to get off the extra starch. Drain and dry the potatoes with a papertowels or a cloth. l

2. Heat a half a pot or dutch oven of oil  to 350 F.

3. In 3 or 4 batches, use tongs to place a small amount of fries into the oil and until the potatoes are crisp but not starting to brown, about 4- 5  minutes per batch. Remove each batch and drain them on new/dry paper towel or a rack and sprinkle them generously with salt.