Pan-Seared Steak with Cognac Sauce
Feb 14, 2016, Updated Jun 23, 2021
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Pan-Seared Steak with Cognac Sauce – Perfectly pan seared Top Sirloin Steaks topped with a deliciously creamy cognac sauce.
You’re only a few ingredients AND minutes from having the best steak dinner of ever. ever. everrrr.
Hello, my dear loves and lovebirds! Happy Sunday! Happy Valentine’s Day! What are your plans? Where are you going? Who is proposing? Who is singling? DO tell. I want to know!
Me, myself and I will be at home, chillin’ with my handsome Valentine and the kids, enjoying big bites of this wonderful Pan-Seared Steak. Don’t be jealous. Also? There’s cognac in there.
If you’ve been following me for some time, you know that I’m constantly on a quest to find a new favorite recipe. Or at least keep things interesting and exciting with things other than chicken. This has been a goal for years.
Steak is something I always experiment with; grilling it, ovening it, pan-searing it. Or what I can flavor it with or what can I stick it in… like fajitas. or this Pan Seared Sirloin Steak with Mushroom Sauce, or whatever else I can think of.
Luckily, it’s one of the coldest times of the year and it makes cooking steaks indoors more interesting and flavorful because, alcohol. For FLAVOR!! And warmth… ✔
Don’t jump to conclusions. (Go ahead and jump – I had a swig or two. It was -30 outside.)
I should also note that, while wine is my number one, cognac in cooking makes it a close second. I absolutely love the flavor that it adds to food.
My key for cooking steak in a cast iron skillet is butter, olive oil AND fairly high heat. I want that skillet to be HOT, and once I throw the steak on there, I don’t touch it. I fight my impatience for a few minutes, trying really hard not to flip the steak every second. Also, for the reason that I will not touch steak if it’s not overdone – basically, if I see blood, in my head, it’s still alive – I have to keep mine on there for several minutes, about 6, before turning it and waiting another 6 minutes.
However, IF you love your steak red and bloody (WHY), give it around 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Please, also know that steak is not safe to eat until it reaches an internal temperature of 145F degrees with 3 minutes rest-time afterwards. Got that? Good.
And about that sauce? Grab the bottle of Courvoisier or Hennessy – things are about to get firey!
Hope you all have the best Valentine’s Day of ever!
ENJOY!
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Pan-Seared Steak with Cognac Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE STEAKS
- 2 (6 to 8 ounces each) top sirloin steaks, room temperature
- coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, , to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- sprig of rosemary
- 4 garlic cloves, , smashed
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1/3 cup cognac, , plus 1 teaspoon
- 1 cup heavy cream
OPTIONAL
- Balsamic Caramelized Onions, , for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare steaks by seasoning with salt and pepper. Liberally salt the steaks on all sides. Set aside.
- Add butter, olive oil, rosemary and garlic cloves to a cast iron skillet and melt over medium-high heat.
- Add steak to skillet and cook until brown and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per each side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks and garlic to cutting board and let steak rest for a few minutes. Discard rosemary sprig.
- Remove skillet from heat and gently pour the cognac into the hot pan and ignite with a lighter. Shake the pan until the flames die out. DO NOT stand above the pan when lighting up the cognac. Stand back as far as possible, while holding on to the handle.
- Return the skillet over medium heat and add the cream to the cognac.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce thickens.
- Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- Remove from heat.
- Cut up the steaks (optional) and pour about 2 tablespoons cognac sauce over each steak.
- Serve.
- Optionally, you can serve the steaks with a side of caramelized onions and/or mashed potatoes.
Notes
(please use a meat thermometer) 140F internal temperature for RARE
145F internal temperature for MEDIUM RARE
160F internal temperature for MEDIUM
170F internal temperature for WELL DONE
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
SIMILAR RECIPES:
Ok…best excuse to buy a larger cast iron pan! Have some smaller ones inherited from my mom and nana so they were already generously seasoned. How do you season a new cast iron pan? My grandson will love this recipe! No grilling in the winter with minus 20’s!!! Thanks…
Hello Theresa.
Seasoning occurs when an oil undergoes *polymerization* at the oils smoke point.
Step 1: choose oil (grapeseed is my go to- higher smoke point means my pan can get hotter without burning)
Step 2: clean it down extra good- use soap and really scrub scrub scrub
Step 3: coat thinly in oil- front back and everywhere
Step 4: place in oven at 20 degrees above smoke point (450 for grapeseed) for 1 hour
Step 5: take it out, rub it down with more oil and back in for an hour as many times as you like 3+ is good
Step 6: cook bacon or something else fatty the first time after seasoning
Katerina, I so agree with you about doneness. No rare (raw) meat for me, thank you. And rare steaks have not been cooked long enough to have any flavor. I think a lot of people have simply been served overcooked steaks at some point in their lives and they think that is what well done or medium well means; it does not. Your steaks look great!
This is a gorgeous steak!! My hubs is one of those rare steak guys, so thanks for the tips. But I’m like you, I much preferred mine cooked, and this looks perfect!
My husband would LOVE me forever if I made him this steak…… 🙂