Steak au Poivre

• 220 g raw Potatoes (7.8 oz raw)
• 6 g Olive oil (1⅓ tsp)
• 1.5 g Salt (¼ tsp)
• 220 g raw Sirloin steak (7.8 oz raw)
• 3 g Black peppercorns, coarsely crushed (1⅓ tsp)
• 20 g raw Shallot (0.7 oz raw)
• 80 g Low-sodium beef broth (⅓ cup)
• 4 g Dijon mustard (¾ tsp)
• 40 g Fat-free evaporated milk (2½ tbsp)
• 5 g Butter (1 tsp)
• 100 g raw Green beans (3.5 oz raw)

You'll need: Baking tray, Parchment paper, Heavy frying pan, Rolling pin or heavy pan for crushing, Small saucepan, Knife, Cutting board, Meat thermometer (helpful).

Method

1. Roast the potatoes

   Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Cut the potatoes into wedges, toss with two-thirds of the oil and a pinch of the salt and roast on the lined tray for 25 minutes, turning once.

   Start the potatoes first. Everything else fits into their roasting time.

2. Crust the steak

   Crush the peppercorns coarsely with a rolling pin. Pat the steak dry, season with the rest of the salt and press the pepper firmly onto both sides. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes. Finely chop the shallot.

   Coarse pepper is the point. Ready-ground pepper is too fine and burns.

3. Sear the steak

   Heat the rest of the oil in the heavy pan over high heat until it shimmers. Sear the steak for 3½–4 minutes a side, until 63°C (145°F) in the middle. Rest it on a plate for 5 minutes.

   Resting lets the juices settle. Cut too soon and they run all over the board.

4. Make the pan sauce

   Turn the heat to medium and cook the shallot in the same pan for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and scrape up the pepper and brown bits, then boil for 2 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the mustard and evaporated milk and simmer for 1 minute, then swirl in the butter off the heat.

   Evaporated milk gives a creamy sauce with a fraction of the fat of cream.

5. Steam the beans and serve

   Steam or microwave the green beans for 3–4 minutes until bright green. Slice the steak and serve with the potatoes and beans, with the sauce poured over.

   Slice the steak across the lines of the grain for the most tender bites.

Swaps

• Evaporated milk → Light cream (40 g)More classic and richer, at about 50 kcal more.
• Sirloin → Filet mignonMore tender and pricier.