Volume 8, Issue 061 - March 28, 2005

Hello Recipe Club,

I would like to introduce you to my friend Bruce Morgan from Pepper-Passion.com. Much of the information posted here this week has come from his website. This week Bruce and I will share some fun recipes and facts about peppercorns. I hope you learn something and grab some new recipes as well.

A Brief History of Pepper

Pepper, obtained from the vine "Piper Nigrum" is the most widely traded spice in the world, and has been so for more than 3,000 years. It represents more than 25% of the world trade in spices and yet is produced in only a handful of countries within 15 degrees of the equator. India is the largest producer from the Malabar Coast of SW India, but Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia are also important producers. Pepper has also been cultivated in the New World and Brazil is a major exporter.

Pepper was used in ancient Egypt and in Roman times, supplied by Arab sea traders who kept the source secret. Later it was supplied overland along the Silk Road. At one point the Greeks and later the Romans learned of the source of this valuable spice and the race was on. The competition  has been fierce for over 2,000 years and spurred exploration and discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus who was disappointed that he did not find the "Spice Islands" instead.

During the Middle Ages, when the trade was monopolized by the Portuguese and later the Dutch, pepper was so valuable that it was worth more than gold by weight, and individual peppercorns were widely accepted as legal currency. (Now there was a civilization that had their priorities right.) Workers who handled pepper were issued clothes without pockets or cuffs to prevent theft.

Luckily, in the modern world pepper is now grown in many locations and readily available from a variety of sources.

Like any other agricultural product, quality can vary widely and the constant impetus to reduce costs makes some products less satisfactory than others. 

Source: Pepper-Passion.com

Pepper-Passion Elegant Salt & Pepper Mills handcrafted from rare & exotic tropical hardwoods. See the "Aphrodite" Pepper Mill. Gourmet Sea Salts and Peppercorns.

Peppercorn Varieties and Origins

Pepper is always best when served freshly ground, regardless of the variety, and if you have never used freshly ground pepper you really do not know what pepper tastes like. The outer shell serves to seal in freshness and once this protection is lost, flavor diminishes rapidly. Some claim to notice a difference within 30 minutes, and most agree that much of the flavor is lost within 30 days of being ground.

When cooking with pepper please remember that the flavor will not be released until the outer shell has been cracked.

All pepper varieties are derived from the same vine (Piper Nigrum). Different varieties result from picking the berries at various stages of ripening and processing them differently. Common varieties include the following: green peppercorns, pink or rose pepper, white peppercorns and black peppercorns.

Today we will learn about green peppercorns: These are berries that are picked long before maturity in the green stage and either air-dried, freeze-dried or pickled in brine to prevent fermentation. They are aromatic with a fresh flavor, but are not pungent. In the dried form they are considered essential for French, Creole and some Thai cooking. This is the also the pepper called for in a traditional "Pepper Steak" sauce.

Because of the extra processing required and the smaller yield, these are some of the more expensive peppers. In recent years Brazil has become the chief source for this variety.

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Green Peppercorn Sauce

A delightful sauce for a grilled chicken breast or a hearty steak.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons brandy
8 tablespoons chicken stock
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon port
1 ounce green peppercorns
salt and ground white pepper to taste

Preparation:

Put wine and brandy in a sauce pan and simmer for 5 minutes until reduced by about one-third.

Add stock and simmer another 5 minutes. Add the cream and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce by about one-third and have a consistency of heavy cream.

Put the vinegar and sugar into another sauce pan and simmer for 30 minutes, until lightly caramelized and reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Cool for a minute and then add the cream sauce from the other pan. Stir until mixed well.

Add the port and peppercorns and season.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Green Peppercorn Butter

Ingredients:

Marinade:

1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
1 scallion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
6 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf

Green Peppercorn Butter (makes about 1/2 cup):

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon drained green peppercorns, packed in water (available at specialty food stores)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard, or to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste

Steak:

1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
sea salt to taste
1 flank steak, about 1 1/2 pounds

Preparation:

In a glass bowl combine all the marinade ingredients and whisk briskly. Pour the ingredients into a zip lock style bag and add the steak. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make green peppercorn butter:

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, blend all the peppercorn-butter ingredients until combined well. Transfer the butter to a piece of waxed paper and roll it up into a 1 inch round tube. 

Seal the ends by twisting the paper and chill it, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight. Allow to come to room temperature before preparing the meat for grilling.

Drain the meat, pat it dry, and press the crushed black peppercorns into it. Let the meat stand for about 20 minutes and season it with the sea salt.

Grill it over glowing coals for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for rare meat. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and top with thin slices of the green peppercorn butter and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Cut the flank steak into thin slices across the grain on an angle and dot the slices with more of the butter. Serve at once.