Cooking with Kelly: Steak au poivre

On goes the low-carb life. A co-worker raved about Alton Brown's steak au poivre ("with pepper") recipe this week so I thought I'd give it a try. Getting all the ingredients was a scavenger hunt and filet mignon is not easy to find, apparently. I couldn't find cognac, so I went with red wine instead.

So here's how it works:
2 filet mignon medallions
Ground kosher salt
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns, crushed
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup heavy cream

Let the steaks warm to room temperature for at least a half an hour. Place the crushed pepper on a plate and dust both sides of the steak with the salt. Melt the butter and oil over high heat in a stainless steel skillet and when a drop of water sizzles on the oil, it's ready. Coat both sides of the steaks with the crushed peppercorns and allow the steaks to sear for four minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet into a 375-degree oven for 15 minutes.

In the interim, use a paper towel to absorb the excess oil but don't try and clean the pan. Place the wine in the skillet and let it cook out, using a wire whisk to scrape up the drippings. After it's reduced, about three minutes, add the cream and whisk it together.

Take out the steaks, top with the sauce and enjoy.

Even with the steamed green beans and salad, this meal cost about $7 per plate. Deliciously cheap.