Mastering the Art of French Cooking | Julia Child

Recipes 43-44

- Steak au Poivre [Pepper Steak with Brandy Sauce], p. 296
- Carottes Ѐtuvées au Beurre [Carrots Braised in Butter], p. 477

You can buy Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking which contains this recipe here.

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Butter Count: +6.5 TB

Cost: $25.33 [~$4.22 per serving]

- Pepper Steak with Brandy Sauce= $23.74 [4-6 servings]
- Carrots Braised in Butter= $1.58 [6 servings]

Okay, let’s be real about this steak right here. If you have never made or eaten Steak au Poivre, stop what you are doing and make it now. And if you are anything like how I used to be, you’re saying to yourself, “I don’t know even how to make steak on the stove.” But let me reassure you, it’s easier than you’ve ever imagined. Put it in a skillet and let it cook. The first few times you make it, it’s totally acceptable to take a knife to it to see if it is ready to take off the heat. Trust me- your taste buds will thank you.

This recipe does have brandy in it, but you will not be flaming the brandy. Sorry to those who like to take risks. Julia clearly states that flaming the brandy with this recipe is only for when restaurants want to show-off for the tourists. When cooking with the brandy this way, too much alcohol stays in the brandy and spoils the taste of the steak.

First, you will put crush peppercorns all over the steak. This will become the delicious crust of the steak. This is where I wished I would have had more time when making this recipe because the longer you can let that steak sit with the peppercorns and really let them get to know each other, the better the flavor will be. But I can confirm that even only 30 minutes will provide pretty good flavor. Next, you will sauté the steak in oil and butter in the exact same way that I discussed in the previous steak recipes. Then it’s sauce time! This sauce is absolutely delicious and pairs so well with the peppercorns. It consists of butter, shallot, and beef bouillon which is boiled down to make a reduction. Make sure you scrape up that delicious flavor that was left in the bottom of the skillet from the steak. Next, add in the cognac and boil down some more. Lastly, butter is added to the sauce. I partially cheated with the recipe and skipped making the potatoes and decorating with water cress.. I feel bad about it now. I won’t do it again.

I made carrots to go with the steak. If I’ve said this once, I’ve said it a million times- the vegetables in this cookbook are amazing. Hands down, the best. These carrots are so simple but so delicious. You basically just put the carrots, sugar, water, butter, and salt in a saucepan and let them boil slowly for 30-40 minutes. Correct the seasoning, and there you have it!

You can find these recipes and all the other Julia Child recipes I make in Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Bon appétit!

September 13, 2019 by Laura Bullock