Rib Eye Steak, Sweet Potato Cake, Apples and Chard With a Green Peppercorn Cognac Cream Sauce

Killer dish!  And another good way to use up mashed potatoes.

Recipe for two:
1 rib eye steak
1 1/2 c mashed potato or mashed sweet potato
1/2 c red onion, chopped
1/2 c apple, chopped
1 c chard, chopped
1/2 c red wine
1/2 c Cognac
1/2 c cream
2 T green peppercorns
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

First, form the potato cakes and place them in a hot pan with some butter over low heat.  You want the cakes to brown but you also want them to be warm inside.  When one side is done, about 20 minutes depending on how thick it is, flip or turn.

In another pan start cooking your room temperature seasoned steak over medium high heat with a little olive oil.  Once that's cooking, start cooking the onion and apple in a little oil.  Turn the steak when it's done on one side, then cook for a bit more to finish to your liking, then place it on a cutting board to rest for a few minutes.  While that's happening remove the potato cakes from the heat.  Add the chard to the onion and apple and melt, season with salt and pepper.

Now deglaise the steak pan with a little red wine over medium high heat and reduce to almost no liquid is left, then add the cognac and do the same.  Now add the cream, reduce it a little and reduce the heat, now add the peppercorns.

Serve onto warm plates as shown.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Flat Iron Steak with a Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce...

In no time at all you can whip up this classic sauce!  It's easy and the prep is simple.  Try it, you'll love it.

This dish should keep Larry quiet for a bit!

We served our meat with roasted acorn squash, which is coated with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Then put in the oven at 325* for an hour.   We also had caramelized onions and garlic, with kale.  To caramelize the onions just chop or slice finely and saute in olive oil over medium high heat.  When they start cooking and get soft, add the garlic and turn the heat down to low.  Now leave them alone for 15 minutes, then add the chopped kale, stems removed, and season.

For the meat.  The meat should at room temperature for about an hour before cooking.  This step helps the meat cook evenly.  Get a saute pan nice and hot.  Rub or brush the meat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then place in the hot pan.  Cook until nice and brown, then turn and do the same.  The meat should be very rare still, so move to another pan and place in the oven to finish.

Sauce for two:
1 cup red wine
1 teaspoon green peppercorns
1/2 cup beef or vegetable stock
1/2 cup cream

Clean out the pan that you cooked the meat in by wiping with a paper towel and scrape out any burned bits.  Now place the pan back on the stove over high heat, when it's hot, add the wine and reduce until about two tablespoons.  Then add the stock and do the same.  Now add the peppercorns and cream, lower the heat to medium and reduce the cream a little.  This only takes seconds!

Sauce your warm plates, and place the meat on the sauce, now add your vegetables.  You can put the rest of the sauce on top of the meat because you won't want to waste any!

Bon Appetit!