Steak Au Sichuan Poivre

by Julie Lin, featured in Sama Sama

Published by Ebury

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Introduction

There’s a quiet satisfaction in selecting a special cut from the butcher or fishmonger for a solo supper; a sort of private ritual. I always relish those moments, walking home with something glorious tucked under my arm, anticipating the pleasure of cooking it just for me. With its reputation as a shared meal for romantic diners, steak has been pigeonholed as a dish for two. In my kitchen, however, it’s a solo affair and so the steak doesn’t have to share the spotlight. Cooking for one frees you from certain constraints: no need for a massive, unwieldy pan to fit two steaks, no juggling timings to suit different tastes, it’s just you giving your undivided attention to the sizzling single steak in the pan, and cooking that steak to your own definition of perfect doneness.

In this take on the French classic, steak au poivre, Sichuan peppercorns bring a nuanced, tingling heat that complements the richness of the meat. I’ve always found steak au poivre to be reminiscent of beef in black bean sauce – salty umami flavours with rich meat. This is a self-indulgent hybrid. In fact, this dish is excellent when you swap the steak with fried oyster mushrooms that have been marinated in a little bit of soy sauce and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and left to caramelise a little; you’ll also need to use vegetable stock instead of beef. It’s a vegetarian dream. Topped with a soy-cured egg yolk, this dish bridges the gap between classic French technique and bold Asian flavours, all the while celebrating the act of cooking for oneself as an indulgence in its own right.

As featured in

Sama Sama

Image of Julie Lin's Steak Au Sichuan Poivre — Photo by Liz Seabrook

Ingredients

Serves: 1

1 fillet steak
sea salt flakes
2 teaspoons black peppercorns (lightly crushed)
vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (lightly crushed)
½ banana shallot (peeled and finely chopped)
2 centimetres piece of root ginger (peeled and grated)
5 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)
3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
100 millilitres beef stock
A pinch of MSG
1 tablespoon cold butter

SEASONING STATION (optional)

light soy sauce
salt
vinegar
stock

FOR THE SOY-CURED EGG YOLK

100 millilitres light soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 egg yolk

TO SERVE

steamed rice
fresh chives (chopped)
steamed greens

Method

Steak Au Sichuan Poivre is a guest recipe by Julie Lin so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Well ahead of when you want to eat, cure the egg yolk. Combine the soy sauce and rice wine in a small bowl, then carefully lower in the egg yolk. Depending on how firm you prefer the yolk, cure it for between 1 and 8 hours at room temperature: 1 hour for lightly cured, 2–3 hours for medium and 4–8 hours for firm. Store the cured egg yolk in the fridge if you are not using it immediately.
About 30 minutes before cooking, take the steak out of the fridge to allow it to reach room temperature. Season the steak generously with the sea salt flakes and 1 teaspoon of the black peppercorns.
Heat a glug of vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the steak in the pan to your preferred level of doneness. Transfer the steak to a plate or board and set aside to rest.
In the same pan, toast the Sichuan peppercorns and the remaining black peppercorns in the same oil until they start to pop and release their aromas.
Reduce the heat to low, add the shallot, ginger and garlic to the pan, then fry until softened and fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the Shaoxing rice wine, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, beef stock and MSG. Allow the mixture to simmer and the flavours to meld together, then adjust the seasoning to taste with whatever seasoning station ingredients you feel like today.
Finish the sauce by swirling in the cold butter for richness and a glossy sheen.
Spoon some of the peppercorn sauce over the resting steak, reserving plenty for finishing the dish.
When ready to serve, spoon the steamed rice into a serving bowl. Slice the steak into strips and drape them over the rice, then spoon over the rest of the peppercorn sauce. Nestle the soy-cured egg yolk into the bowl and top with some chopped chives. Serve with any steamed greens of your choosing.