WAGYU STEAK AU POIVRE
Heat oven to 350°F
Season both sides of the steak with salt and a little bit of pepper since there is a lot of pepper in the sauce.
Fine dice shallots and thinly slice garlic cloves.
Drain the green peppercorns. Crush the black peppercorns roughly with a mortar and pestle or place on a cutting board and crush with a heavy skillet.
Heat a large sauté pan heat on high. Add the beef tallow, oil or clarified butter to pan, turn down to medium high once the fat is hot.
Add the steaks and sear, leaving them undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until they are a golden brown color. Flip steaks over and sear for another 2 to 3 minutes to develop a nice crust.
Turn the heat to low and add 1 tablespoon butter. Baste steaks with the melted butter, spooning it over the top of each steak a few times.
Place the steaks and skillet in the oven and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Check the center of each steak with a good thermometer to determine when they are ready. 110°F for rare, 120°F for medium rare and 130°F for medium. When the steaks have reached the desired doneness, pull them from the oven.
Place steaks on a tray to rest while you make the sauce. Note: this sauce comes together quickly, so make sure the rest of your dinner is finished and your table is set.
In the same pan you cooked the steaks, pour off excess fat. The goal is to maintain the rich flavor, but remove any burnt butter that will darken your pretty sauce. Add 1 tablespoon butter, garlic, shallots and both peppercorns to the pan. Turn heat to medium. Let all the ingredients sweat for about 1 minute, moving the pan around.
Remove pan from heat and add sherry to the pan. Set over medium heat and cook until the wine has evaporated about 50%.
Add the cream and bring up to a simmer, season with a pinch of salt. Simmer about 30 to 60 seconds on low to bring to a thick, but pourable consistency.
Turn off heat and add the last tablespoon of butter. Stir until butter is absorbed and the sauce is velvety. Do not heat again as your sauce may separate.
Slice the rested steak and pour the au poivre sauce over the slices. Serve immediately so the sauce does not get too thick.
