For the brown sauce:

Make a roux: add the flour and butter to a small bowl and whisk until combined. Put beef stock in saucepan, over low heat, and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the roux and combine until smooth. No lumps!

For the Steak au Poivre:

With a meat mallet gently pound the peppercorns onto both sides of steak. Place a saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil and heat until smoking. Add the steak, turning once or twice until cooked to desired doneness. Add shallots and garlic and stir. Do not allow to burn. Remove pan from heat and deglaze with brandy. Light brandy with a long kitchen match and when the flames subside, place the pan back on the stove. Add brown sauce and whisk in the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If desired, you may remove steak before final mixing. Place steak on a serving platter and pour the au poivre mixture on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.