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
What to ask for
This recipe calls for Araignée. Can't get it where you are?
Ingredients & method
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.
Cook this well
$$$ · picanha, steaks, skewers, and general charcoal grilling
Get a real charcoal crust at home
High-heat grilling, simple indirect cooks, steak, picanha, and burgers.
Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill
