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1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Moisten the meat very slightly with oil, then dredge each of the steaks in the crushed peppercorns to thoroughly coat.
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2
Don't be shy with the pepper.
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3
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over high heat.
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4
Once the oil is hot, add 2 ounces, which is half of the butter.
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5
Place the steaks in the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.
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6
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until desired doneness, about 5 to 7 minutes for rare, 10 minutes for medium rare, and so on.
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7
Remove from the oven and remove the steaks from the pan to rest.
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8
Have I told you yet to always rest your meat after cooking?
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9
I've told you now.
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10
DIRECTIONS FOR SAUCE.
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11
Return the skillet to the stovetop and carefully stir in the Cognac.
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12
As much fun as it is to create a column of flame as you add flammable material to an incredibly hot pan, it's not really desirable or necessary especially in a home kitchen.
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13
Unless you're a pyromaniac, I recommend carefully adding the Cognac to the still-hot pan off the flame, stirring and scraping with the wooden spoon to get every scrap, every peppercorn, every rumor of flavor clinging to the bottom of the pan.
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14
Now place the pan on the flame again and cook it down a bit, by about half.
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15
Stir in the veal stock and reduce over medium heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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16
Whisk in the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.
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17
Serve immediately with French fries or sauteed potatoes.
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18
Note on searing: With any recipe that calls for searing meat and then using the pan to make a sauce, be careful to avoid blackening the pan; your sauce will taste burnt.
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19
Avoid by adjusting the heat to, say, medium high, so it will still sear the meat but not scorch the pan juices.
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20
But stoves and pans vary, so pay attention.
