Rich and Meaty

Posted by Jackson on Sep. 21, 2009

steakaupoivre1Do you subscribe to the Williams-Sonoma catalogs for their recipes but never buy anything from them? Me too. Or at least I did until the September “French bistro” edition arrived with steak au poivre on the cover, whereupon I lost my buttons and immediately ran out to buy the paste and beef demi-glace. I think my self-restraint was admirable: at least I didn’t knuckle under for the $400 deep fryer to make pommes frites.

The demi-glace alone is ridiculously priced at $29 for a small jar but — wowie wow wow. It was worth it to discover what has become my new Death Row meal. My only criticism of the recipe is to disregard the chicken stock, which waters down the sauce. Without it, the red wine and demi-glace make a thick, delicious gravy.

If you eat steak, I recommend you proceed forthwith to your nearest Williams-Sonoma and purchase the aforementioned. Finding a shop is easy: just go to a wealthy suburb and walk on the sidewalk until you’re almost hit by a housewife in an SUV. Then follow her to Vineyard Vines; the Williams-Sonoma will be next-door.

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  • williamrobert30
    Chicken demi-glace is fairly cheap and easy to make that's why I like it........
  • Wow it looks like a best meal . My mouth is all watered by just thinking about it.....Chicken demi-glace is no doubt fairly cheap and easy to make.Quite tempting display of the food...
  • Huh. They don't have you cream the sauce? I worked at a bistro-type restaurant a while back, and whenever we did steak au poivre, the sauce always finished with cream. It's excellent that way, incidentally, if you're keen to try a variation.

    One fun fact about demi-glace is that when you make it, you render the stock so far that it actually loses a surprisingly large amount of its original flavour (instead just taking on a very rich but somewhat non-specific "meaty" flavour). So for most purposes, any demi-glace is interchangable with any other.

    Chicken demi-glace is fairly cheap and easy to make.

    I'm just sayin'.
  • Jackson
    Darien, your comment provoked some research. I have a recipe for steak au poivre that creates the sauce from cognac, mustard, and cream but I've never tried it since I hate cognac (though I'm intrigued by the mix of mustard and cream). Yet upon discussion with some French friends, I've learned that yes, the traditional recipe calls for brandy and cream.

    I suspect there's variation from bistro to bistro but I more strongly suspect this is just WS trying to move units by making bistro cooking easy and palatable. The sauce, as delicious as it is, strikes me as very beef bourguignon. I don't care. Together that pepper paste and the sauce are the bee's knees.
  • KPCK
    It truly is the best meal. I salivate just thinking about it. You may not buy from Williams-Sonoma ever, but I do. I'm the working wife and mother in the Subaru driving to Vineyard Vines and then WS. In my circle of friends, the little blue box has nothing on any size green box!
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