The secret to this au poivre sauce is Sichaun peppercorns #steak #chef #recipe

Quick Overview

Chef Sam Braverman from Lori Jayne demonstrates making his most popular dish, Steak Frites with an Au Poivre sauce, which incorporates a unique blend of green Sichuan, black, and red Sichuan peppercorns for a nuanced flavor.

Key Points: The video details the creation of a signature Au Poivre sauce, described as one of the most crucial steps in the dish's process. Shallots are preferred over white or red onions for the sauce base due to their more nuanced and delicate flavor, sitting between sweet onion and garlic notes. The sauce base involves sautéing shallots, adding steak butter and extra virgin olive oil, then deglazing with a quart of white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay). The flavor profile is deepened by adding Tamari, fish sauce, Kecap Manis (sweet thickened soy sauce), lemon juice, and sherry vinegar to the reducing stock (initially 6 liters of house-made chicken stock reduced to 4-5 liters). The signature element is the peppercorn blend: green Sichuan peppercorns, standard black peppercorns, and red Sichuan peppercorns, which are toasted and blended before being added to the sauce base. The final dish is Steak Frites, where sliced steak is served over fries and generously topped with the finished, pepper-studded Au Poivre sauce and garnished with chives.

Context: Sam Braverman, chef at Lori Jayne, provides a detailed tutorial on preparing his restaurant's most popular dish, Steak Frites, focusing heavily on the complex preparation of the accompanying Au Poivre sauce. The process emphasizes specific ingredient choices, like using shallots for their delicate flavor, and a unique tri-peppercorn blend to elevate the classic French sauce.

Detailed Analysis

Sam Braverman of Lori Jayne walks through making their most popular dish: Steak Frites with an Au Poivre sauce. He stresses that the sauce preparation is crucial. The process begins by breaking down shallots, which are chosen over standard onions for their more delicate flavor profile, which he likens to something between a sweet onion and garlic. The shallots are cooked down with steak butter and a smidge of extra virgin olive oil to aid cooking. After 30-35 minutes of roasting, the shallots are added to a large pot, followed by a quart of white wine (suggesting Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay) to deglaze, adhering to the '10 percent better than your cheap wine' rule. Additional liquid flavor components include house-made chicken stock (6 liters reduced to 4-5 liters), D'Ussé cognac, Tamari, fish sauce, Kecap Manis (sweet thickened soy sauce), lemon juice, and sherry vinegar. Once reduced, heavy cream is added and brought to a boil to 'rock together.' The secret ingredient is the custom peppercorn blend: green Sichuan peppercorns, standard black peppercorns, and red Sichuan peppercorns. These are toasted gently until fragrant, blended, and then generously added to the sauce, forming the 'true au poivre.' Finally, the steak is sliced and fanned over a bed of fries, and the finished sauce is ladled over the meat and garnished with chives.