Top Round Aromatica
Submitted by mnm1000
Pepper-crusted top round steak seared in a hot skillet and finished with a red wine, cognac, and cream pan sauce. Bistro-style steak dinner on the table in 30 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThis is steak au poivre’s scrappy, budget-friendly cousin, and it absolutely delivers.
A thick-cut top round gets rubbed with a paste of crushed black pepper, butter, and garlic, then seared hard in a screaming-hot pan until a dark, peppery crust forms on both sides.
The real magic starts when the steak comes out and red wine and cognac hit that hot pan, lifting every caramelized bit into a sauce that’s pure concentrated flavor.
A swirl of cream and fresh parsley turns it silky, and you’ve got a restaurant-quality plate for a fraction of the price.
Chef Tips
- Get the pan ripping hot. You want a hard sear, not a steam. If the steak doesn’t sizzle on contact, the pan isn’t ready.
- Crush the pepper coarsely. Fine ground pepper burns and turns bitter. Use the bottom of a pan or a mortar and pestle for big, crunchy flakes.
- Slice against the grain. Top round can be chewy if you cut it wrong. Thin diagonal slices across the grain keep every bite tender.
- The cognac flambé is optional but fun. If the pan catches a flame when you add the cognac, just let it burn out. That’s flavor, not a problem.
Ingredients
Directions
This is SOOOO good.
I make it without the sour cream and it is SOOOO good without the sour cream that it is probably devine with it.
Warning: once you start cooking this, you should have your accompaniments ready; the cooking goes pretty fast.
I heat up a toaster oven first and when the time comes to keep the steak warm, I turn OFF the toaster oven and pop the steak in (it JUST fits).
Combine crushed pepper, butter, and garlic into a paste.
Spread evenly on both sides of the steak.
Heat oil in heavy frying pan over medium high heat.
When very hot, add steak and brown evenly on both sides.
Allow 7 minutes per side for rare, 8 minutes for medium rare, and 9 minutes for medium.
Place steak on a serving platter and keep warm.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and cognac and cook 1 minute.
Reduce heat, add cream and chopped parsley and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Season to taste with salt. Carve steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
Pour the sauce over steak and garnish with parsley.
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