The 'spider steak' — a small, deeply marbled muscle from the inside of the hip — grilled rare and finished with a French peppercorn sauce. There are only two per animal, so French butchers often keep them for themselves.
Serves 2Prep 15 minCook 12 min
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Ingredients
- 2 araignée steaks (about 200 g each)
- Coarse sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
- —
- For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons green peppercorns in brine, drained and lightly crushed
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 60 ml cognac or brandy
- 150 ml beef or veal stock
- 120 ml double cream
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Method
- 1Bring the steaks to room temperature, pat dry, and season generously with salt and pepper.
- 2Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Sear the araignées for 2 minutes per side — they should be deeply browned but rare in the centre (50 °C / 122 °F core). Lift onto a warm plate to rest.
- 3Reduce heat to medium. Add the butter and the shallot to the pan; cook 90 seconds.
- 4Off the heat, pour in the cognac (it can flame — let it burn off, then return to heat).
- 5Add the stock, peppercorns, and mustard. Reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and reduce another 2 minutes until coating-thick.
- 6Slice the araignées against the grain into 1 cm strips. Spoon the sauce over the top.
Chef's tip
Araignée's irregular shape can fool you on cooking time. Use a probe rather than the clock — 50 to 52 °C internal is what you want.