“I feel spent and like running away to some foreign, exotic country…by myself”, where not the reassuring words my husband, (calling from the disconnected distance of Mexico) expected to hear from his wife, but it was the answer he got nevertheless. Not even the award-winning Merlot he had secured from a tiny, dusty vineyard he visited in Argentina last week seemed to dull the strains of being the sole caregiver of two young children 24/7. Glass two was empty and the options had narrowed themselves to Turkey or Greece for my escape.
Husband was smart enough to sense that whatever reply he offered would invariably get him in trouble, so, he spoke extra slowly, as if such verbal speed bumps would guarantee him some sort of half victory in the conversation.
“…Escape …to…a foreign…country? “
There was a second or two where he honestly questioned my authenticity on such a declaration, and in him believing it, I, for that split second, did too, instantly being photographed by hoards of hungry paparazzi while I lounged around in a much-coveted 7-million dollar yacht off the coast of Mykonos. It sounded good. I already felt tan.
Until I heard a 6-year old squeal, “ESCAPE TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY???” and was catapulted back to my reality: a suburban evening boasting unmade beds, backed-up loads of dirty laundry and two highly energetic kids. The only thing going for me was my dinner plans of watercress and steak.
The first time I’d been privy to such a mix was in the dark, damp corner of Le Coq D’Or restaurant, a French culinary secret nestled in a sinister, unforgiving street in Caracas. This was my parents all-time favorite restaurant, and, after we’d brave the less-than coveted neighborhood, we’d enter the tiny establishment and be greeted by an art exhibit serving as a tribute to fighting cocks: a tradition still practiced in parts of Venezuela today. Paintings and sculptures of all sorts and sizes lined the walls celebrating this disturbing cultural custom. I managed to disengage from what such artwork, as well as the name of the restaurant, represented because I knew the culinary rewards far outweighed any ethical ones.
After a brief visit at the overcrowded bar where my parents began their excursion with a series of, what they described as, ‘the best whiskey sour on this earth’ we would be seated at a small, dark booth where we’d all instinctively order the house special: pepper steak with watercress.
The steak was simply served: swimming in a silky ocean of creamy butter and speckled with peppery peppercorns, it’s red juices comingling with the crisp and pungent mound of watercress served as an accompaniment. It was a straightforward dish, but unforgettable at that. I remember closing my eyes as the bite of the watercress mixed with the softness and full-flavor of the rare steak. If you were lucky, you’d get a peppercorn or two mixed in there and the experience was so incredibly pure and good I would yearn to repeat it over and over and over again, asking my parents on regular intervals when we would be visiting Le Coq D’Or again.
I have no tributes to cockfighting in my home (if you don’t count my children pitting against each other over the remote), but every once in a while, when the day has been a rough one and I peer out the garden window in search of the yacht, I settle my craving for escape with a simple and wonderful steak and watercress special, just as they served in Le Coq D’Or.
CHEATER’S FAST STEAK AU POIVRE
2 marbled strip steaks, about 1 1 /2 pounds total
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns (can be black or combination)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon parsley garlic salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
FOR THE WATERCRESS:
2 cups washed watercress
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher sea salt
Coat steaks with peppercorns, salt, and garlic salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter and the oil in a skillet set on high and sear the meat 2 minutes on each side. Cook an additional minute each side for rare.
Remove pan from heat and stir in remaining 3 tablespoons butter until melted.
Serve on top of a bed of watercress drizzled with salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Serves 2
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