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SERVES:
2-4

INGREDIENTS:

two - four....7-8-ounce steaks (see hints below)
salt to taste
coarse ground black peppercorns for coating steaks
2 Tbs butter for searing steaks

2 Tbs finely diced shallots or red onion
1 Tbs butter
3 Tbs bourbon
1 tsp Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
approx. 3/4-1 cup heavy cream

mashed potatoes as needed (optional)
steamed green beans as needed (optional)

PROCEDURE:

You'll need really coarse ground pepper for this so set your peppermill to a loose, coarse grind setting and grind a generous amount onto a large flat plate.

Season the steaks with salt and then press both flat sides firmly into the peppercorns to coat.
Next, melt 2-3 Tbs butter in a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed non stick pan and, when the pan is hot, add the steaks.

Cook those evenly on both flat sides until the steaks are cooked to your liking and, while that is happening, finely dice a couple of Tbs of shallots or red onion.

Once the steaks are cooked to your liking, take them out of the pan and put them on a clean plate to rest.

Add a little more butter to the pan, add the shallots and cook those to soften.

For the next step you need to be REALLY careful. Take the pan off of the stove, add 3 Tbs bourbon to the pan. Then tilt the pan so that the flame catches the bourbon on fire and let it cook along until the flames go out (standing back out of the way as this is happening). Then add 1 tsp of Dijon mustard and a good splash of heavy cream, stir that in and let it reduce down a bit to a sauce consistency.

You could plan ahead and make some mashed potatoes and steam some green beans to serve with it.

HINTS:

Before igniting the bourbon over the stove, make sure there is nothing above that will catch on fire at the same time. Always keep an appropriate fire extinguisher handy when working with open flames.

If you are working with an electric stove, you can very carefully light the edge of the bourbon with a long match, again being VERY CAREFUL, and standing back as the flames rise.

Beef strip steaks, sirloin steaks and tenderloin steaks work well for this and so do similar steaks of buffalo and venison. Just be sure not to cook the buffalo or venison more than medium rare to medium or they can be very tough.

If the sauce seems to thick, thin it out with a tiny amount of water.