All the other books so far in this grilling series have dealt with fire outside the home. Attempting to overachieve, I chose a recipe from Feeding the Fire that required flames inside and out: grilling and a flambe.
This recipe calls for steaks so large, they were likely cut from a dinosaur, not a cow. I took the advice of the friendly butcher at Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions and opted for the bone-in version of the 2-inch thick strip steak. While the ingredient list calls for four of these monsters, I opted for three, which was enough to feed a family of four with one steak left over for a hungry Sauce team.
The grilling instructions were spot on. The two-stage fire made both a pretty sear on the steaks and the medium-low coals finished the cooking to a perfect 135 degrees. The sauce au poivre was a creamy, slightly peppery sauce that complemented the beef but could just as easily be spooned over green vegetables or potatoes. To flame the apple brandy, the recipe directed me to carefully tilt the pan toward the flame to ignite the alcohol. Those are also be the directions to burn down my house, so I turned off the burner, added the brandy and set it alight with the long-handled barbecue lighter. My house is still standing, and I learned that huge cuts of meat plus an abundance of fire equals primal cooking at its finest.
Skill level: Easy. The directions are easy to follow and the recipes are un-fussy, focusing on the quality of the meat and simplicity of preparation.
This book is for: Fans of the flame. There are recipes for vegetables and all kinds of proteins ranging from grocery store staples to more specialized cuts.
Other recipes to try: Chicken spiedies, grilled whole trout with lemon and garlic butter and charred long beans.
The verdict: Long was the reign of The Grilling Book, but this week Feeding the Fire came out on top.
New York Strip Steaks with Sauce Au Poivre
4 servings
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. very finely chopped shallots
1 ½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper, or more to taste
2 Tbsp. apple brandy
2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp. pink peppercorns
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 13-ounce strip steaks, about 2 inches thick
• Prepare a two-stage fire with high and medium-low sides in a grill.
• Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the coarsely ground black pepper and brandy and carefully tilt the pan slightly away from yourself to ignite the brandy (if you’re using an electric stove, carefully light the brandy with a match or lighter), then cook until the flames subside.
• Add the cream and pink peppercorns, bring to a simmer, and reduce by half. Season the sauce with more coarsely ground pepper, if necessary and salt to taste and keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.
• Season the steaks generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill the steaks over high heat, turning every couple of minutes, until well charred on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the steaks to the medium-low side of the grill and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the middle of the steaks reads 135 degrees for medium, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Transfer the steaks to plates and let rest for 5 minutes then serve with the warm sauce.
Reprinted with permission from Artisan Press
This article appears in April 2016.