Beef Pavé with Pepper Sauce, Potatoes and Leeks
Pan-seared beef steaks with homemade peppercorn sauce, crispy oven-roasted potatoes, and buttered stewed leeks. The sauce builds from pan drippings deglazed with white wine vinegar, beef stock, cream, and crushed peppercorns for depth. Leeks soften to tender sweetness while potatoes turn golden and crispy. A straightforward French bistro plate.
Ingredients
- 13 oz potatoes, peeled and cut into ⅓" sticks
- thyme, dried, scattered on potatoes and in sauce
- 2 pièce beef pavé, marinated
- 1 pièce leek, white and light green parts
- ⅓ cups heavy cream, for sauce
- 8 ½ tbsp beef stock, prepared with hot water
- 2 cs sunflower oil, for roasting potatoes
- 2 cc butter, for cooking leek
- 1 cs olive oil, for searing beef
- 1 cc white wine vinegar, for deglazing
- 1 cc mustard, for sauce
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, crushed, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 425°F (400°F fan).
- 2
Wash and peel potatoes, cut into ⅓" wide sticks. Place on parchment-lined sheet.
- 3
Drizzle potatoes with sunflower oil, salt, and sprinkle with thyme. Toss well.
- 4
Roast in upper oven 25-35 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and crispy.
- 5
Remove beef from refrigerator. Prepare beef stock with hot water.
- 6
Cut leek in half lengthwise, wash thoroughly, then slice into thin half-moons.
- 7
Heat butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté leek 1-2 minutes.
- 8
Cover, reduce heat, and cook 8-10 minutes more until tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
- 9
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- 10
Pat beef dry with paper towels, season with salt.
- 11
When oil is hot, place beef steaks in pan and sear 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to foil-covered plate.
- 12
Return meat pan to medium heat. Deglaze with white wine vinegar, scraping up browned bits.
- 13
Add beef stock, cream, mustard to taste, and crushed peppercorns. Simmer 3-5 minutes over medium-low heat until sauce thickens and coats back of spoon.
- 14
Divide leek fondue and potatoes among plates. Top with beef and spoon sauce over meat.
Tips
If leek mixture dries out during cooking, add a splash of water or a knob of butter to maintain moisture.
Taste sauce and adjust peppercorn and stock quantities to preference; add more stock if sauce becomes too thick.
For medium (à point) doneness instead of rare, cook beef an additional 1 minute per side.
Good to Know
Store leftover beef separately from sauce and potatoes. Meat keeps 2-3 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in oven at low temperature to avoid overcooking.
Marinate beef up to 8 hours in advance. Potatoes can be cut and held in cold water 1-2 hours. Prepare leek and stock 1 hour before cooking.
Plate warm with leek fondue and potatoes as base, beef steak centered, sauce spooned over meat. Serve immediately.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip patting beef dry to avoid poor browning and sear crust.
Do not overcrowd the pan when searing beef to avoid steaming instead of searing.
Do not skip deglazing to avoid losing flavorful browned bits and fond.
Do not let sauce boil vigorously to avoid breaking or curdling the cream.