Steak au Chocolat a Sauce Recipe for Friends

My inspiration for this recipe for Steak au Chocolat came together after a visit to New Hampshire and an introduction to chocolatiers Enna Grazier and her husband Matt, the founders of Enna Chocolate. The sauce is perhaps best described as a French classic – steak au poivre – meets Mexican mole sauce. This recipe borrows a bit from both cultures with a touch of Portugal for good measure.

Steak au Chocolat with Sunchoke Purée

This chocolate-based sauce for the steak adds a slightly decadent finish to the grilled meat. The sauce worked well in a pairing with the Hermitage La Petite Chapelle (2012) from Paul Jaboulet-Aîné, a red wine from the Northern Rhône Valley.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine French

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

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For the Sauce:

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter divided
• 2 tbsp shallot(s) or onion, chopped
• 2 oz (56 g) Unsweetened chocolate * 100% cacao
• 1 tbsp demi-glace concentrate
• 1/2 cup (118 ml) Madeira wine or port
• 1/2 cup (118 ml) rosé wine
• 1 tsp Balsamic Crema or glaze

Steak Coating:

• 2 tbsp black peppercorns crushed
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

For the Purée:

• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 lb (.45 kg) Jerusalem Artichokes
• 2 large Russet potatoes or any variety of baking potato
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (118 ml) cream

Instructions

 

To Make the Sauce:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 2-quart saucepan.
• Add shallots and cook until clear. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the butter and shallots.
• When chocolate is melted, add the demi-glace and stir to combine.
• Add the port and rosé, and bring to a simmer.
• Add the balsamic crema, stir, and let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened (sauce will continue to thicken as it cools).
• Strain into a clean saucepan, add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, stir until melted, and set aside.

Make the Steak Coating:

• Place cocoa powder and crushed peppercorns on a plate and add salt and sugar. Mix well with a fork. Press tops and bottoms of the filets into the mixture, leaving sides uncoated. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the potato-sunchoke purée.

To Prepare the Purée:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
• In the meantime, peel the Jerusalem artichokes, and cut them into 1/2-inch dice.
• When the water is boiling, add 1tablespoon salt and the diced Jerusalem artichokes. Cook for 15 minutes.
• While the sunchokes are cooking, peel and cut the potato into 1-inch pieces. After the sunchokes have cooked for 15 minutes, add the potatoes to the pot and cook for 20 minutes longer.
• Drain, then mash with a potato masher, add butter and cream, then whip using a handheld mixer until smooth. Season to taste, then cover and set aside.

Cook the Steaks:

• Place a skillet (large enough to cook the filets uncrowded in a single batch) over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil. Sear filets - 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
• While the steaks are resting, reheat the sauce and potato-sunchoke purée over medium-low heat. (Most likely, the sauce will have separated a bit - whisk it vigorously to emulsify.)

To Serve:

• Place a heaping 1/2 cup of potato-sunchoke purée on each plate. Slice the steaks and arrange atop the purée. Spoon sauce over, and serve immediately.

Notes

* Don’t use grocery store unsweetened baker’s chocolate - use only the best quality artisanal chocolate. If you can’t fine unsweetened chocolate (100% cacao), go for something with as high a cacao content as you can find - 85% works well, too.

Keyword Beef, Chocolate

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