Steak au poivre with spicy asparagus fries

Crack the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle into reasonable pieces, not dust (or bash them in a zip-top bag).

Season the steaks aggressively with salt, then press on the cracked pepper to form a crust on top. Set aside.

Set up a three-part breading station: flour seasoned with a little BFF; eggs beaten until fully incorporated; Sriracha Panko processed finer with about a quarter cup of Parmesan and about a quarter cup of crispy bacon pieces. Use more crumb than flour.

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus (or line up and cut).

Spray the asparagus lightly with water, roll in flour, then egg, then the crumb, and lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Heat a pan until barely smoking, add olive oil and the steaks; sear a couple of minutes for color and crust, turn carefully and give another minute.

Put the whole pan in the oven, said as 'at about 275 to finish', and cook the steaks to about 130 degrees internal.

Put the asparagus in ('The oven's at 425') for about 25 minutes, until a fork goes into the thicker end easily.

Rest the steaks under a little foil.

Wipe the excess grease from the pan and heat it. Add the brandy and torch it until mostly burned off.

Add the beef broth and the heavy cream and bring to a rapid boil to thicken. Add half a tablespoon of Dijon, a tablespoon of Worcestershire and a splash of dark soy for color, plus another pinch of the peppercorns.

Boil five or six minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Spoon sauce onto the plate, set the steak on it, top with a little more pepper, and add the asparagus fries.