Dish R&D: Steak au Poivre

At Fusion Cafe, Asian influences bring a global twist to a French classic

By Allison Perlik, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 9/15/2004

Small plates are big sellers these days, but customers called for bigger bites at Fusion Cafe, an eclectic tapas and sushi restaurant flavored with Asian, Mediterranean and new-American influences.

To accommodate clientele in East Longmeadow, Mass., about 90 miles west of Boston and 30 miles north of Hartford, Conn., Executive Chef Chris Albano began offering about a dozen entrée-size portions in the past year. His Steak au Poivre, an Asian-style reinvention of the French classic, joined the lineup early this summer. The dish proved an ideal fit given the continuing popularity of proteins among the low-carb crowd: 12% to 15% of Fusion Cafe’s weekly sales are driven by beef-based dishes, which the chef calls “amazing for a concept with such a variety of items.”

DISH: Steak au Poivre COMPOSITION: 12-ounce, center-cut sirloin steak with Szechuan peppercorns over pineapple-fried rice and sake-shallot jus TIMELINE—R&D THROUGH INTRODUCTION: One week MENU PRICE: $24 FOOD COST: 33%

For the meat cut, Albano chose the more-flavorful, 12-ounce sirloin over a leaner filet mignon. Szechuan peppercorns (actually berries from the Chinese prickly ash tree) replace the traditional black, green and white varieties, offering less bite but lending a distinctive, citrus-tinged piquancy. Albano toasts and grinds the peppercorns before rubbing them on the steak, which he pan-sears to heighten texture and caramelization.

“People like to see the nice, brown, caramel color on the steak. It’s better than char-grilling. The burnt flavor in the pan gives nice flavoring, but you can control it a little better,” he says.

Standard steak au poivre calls for cognac or brandy to deglaze the pan for the accompanying sauce; Albano’s Asian version substitutes sake, to which he adds shallots, demi-glace and a touch of cream.

Originally the chef paired the beef with a standard fried-rice recipe, but when he tested it as a menu special he discovered it needed help.

“Asian food is a yin-yang of sweet and sour, spicy and salty [tastes] to touch all areas of the palate,” he says. “I try to balance everything for good harmony.”

The desired contrast wasn’t there yet, but a Thai-Malaysian fried rice with pineapple salsa that Albano had used with past menu items provided the answer. Tossed with red onion, red and yellow peppers, cilantro, sake and a sweet-and-sour glaze, the pineapple salsa brings a flavorful accent that balances the sauce’s richness, while sriracha, a Thai chile sauce, adds an element of heat to the dish.