Chopped Steak Au Poivre
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Emile Haynie, a great friend, prolific music producer, bread tosser and fellow steak house admirer, turned me on to the chopped steak at the Musso & Frank Grill. It is by far my favorite Musso signature. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo used to do a chopped steak at their dearly departed restaurant, Animal, that ramped up all things Yum Town. I miss that place so much. It means the world that they went into the vault and prepared the exact recipe for old times’ sake. Try making homemade veal stock for the demi-glace.
Prepare the steak: Remove any sinew from the steak, but keep the fat on the whole steak. Cut into ¼-inch thick slices in any direction, lay the slices flat, julienne each slice lengthwise, then cut into small dice horizontally. Run your knife through the diced meat and fat a few times to mix them evenly.
Season the minced steak lightly with a pinch of salt. Split the meat into two patty portions, about 8 ounces per patty. Store in the fridge until ready to cook. (No need to cover the patties, but only prep up to a few hours before using; otherwise the beef will oxidize.)
When ready to cook, generously season each patty with salt and pepper on both sides. Place a large cast-iron pan or other heavy skillet over high heat. When very hot, add the oil and swirl to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the patties and sear for 1 minute, until a deeply, beautifully golden brown crust forms on the bottom, then flip to sear on the other side, 1 minute more, for a rare patty. Remove from the heat and let the patties rest on a plate or cutting board.
Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter then add the shallots. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to sweat and are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Cognac, then carefully ignite with a long lighter to cook off the alcohol. Stir to deglaze the pan and cook until the liquid has almost entirely cooked off, 1 to 2 more minutes. Add the veal demi-glace, stir, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium-low to let simmer, stir in the crème fraîche, and remove from the heat (do not let the crème fraîche boil). Season with the pepper and salt.
To serve, put a few spoonfuls of sauce on each plate, then place a steak patty on top.
