Steak au poivre was a common and popular menu item back in the ’70s and ’80s. For some reason it has lost its popularity, and I’m here to say BRING. IT. BACK.

The first time I had it was in Kingfield at Winter’s Inn. I was living in Carrabassett Valley and the restaurant at the inn was a favorite spot for a good meal. I didn’t go all that often but when I did I always had the steak au poivre. The combination of a good tender piece of steak coated with big chunks of crushed peppercorn, and Cognac or other brandy cooked in the pan with the drippings and some heavy cream, was possibly the best meal I had ever had at that tender age.

The owner at that time was Michael Thom. He said steak au poivre was his father’s favorite dish, and the chef, Bernard Phanner, who Thom said was a “magical guy,” knew his way around a kitchen. Unfortunately I don't remember what I had to drink with the meal. I'm afraid it may have been a white Russian. Like I said, I was young.

Though it's not something you'll find on a lot of menus these days, there's a restaurant in Lincolnville that's been serving steak au poivre for 27 years. Chez Michel owner and chef, Michel Hetuin, who originates from France, said the dish is the number one seller at his restaurant in Maine. “It is very popular in France,” he said. “Every restaurant there serves it.”

Chef Michel believes that a reason for steak au poivre's absence from restaurant menus is simply that good steak is so costly. “It really should be an expensive steak, like a good filet, a Black Angus tenderloin, a ribeye, or a “0x1” New York strip sirloin. Filet mignon is the number one steak served in France.”

Though Michel serves his steak au poivre the classic way, with a brandy and cream sauce, he also likes it made with a different sauce. “There was a little bistro in northern France that served it with a port wine sauce.”

The new chef at the Boothbay Harbor Country Club, George Schimert, said he'll be serving steak au poivre as a special item on this summer's menu. “We'll run it as a tableside cooking dish. This is a classic country club so the emphasis will be on classic foods.” He may do two different types of steak au poivre — one using mashed green peppercorns, the other using black peppercorns. Both will be served with the cream and brandy sauce. “The art comes in with getting the right temperature to cook it,” he said. “The pan needs to be hot enough to cook the steak properly, but not so hot it'll burn the pepper, causing it to become acrid.”

Steak au poivre can also be found as a special on the menu at Rocktide Inn in Boothbay Harbor, according to manager John Sullivan.

So if you're just dying to try steak au poivre now, or have it again, and can't find it on a menu, it's really pretty easy to prepare at home. It's delicious, and it looks elegant on a nice plate. It's a good thing to serve to dinner guests you want to impress. Just don't tell them how easy it is.

Chances are you have butter. If you don't have whole peppercorns, you should. Fresh ground pepper should be used almost as much as pink salt. So go get some decent steaks, preferably filet mignon or strip steak, a bottle of brandy or Cognac (that you can sip while preparing dinner) and some heavy cream.

The sauce is so good the steak is secondary, though tender and flavorful is of course preferable to a tougher cut.

Black peppercorns are the norm for steak au poivre, but feel free to use any different kinds and mixtures. As long as you get the strong flavor of pepper, combined with the other ingredients, it will be mouth-wateringly good. And don’t grind them. Crush them, and leave them chunky. I put them in a plastic bag and hammer them with a mallet. Not too hard. Just enough to break them up a little.

You can use as little or as much ground peppercorn as you please. I happen to love pepper — especially fresh ground — and I really lay it on steak au poivre. You can barely see the steak through the peppercorns when I make it.

After smashing the pepper put it on a plate and press the steak into it. Both sides. Then pan fry, preferably using a cast iron skillet, in some butter and/or oil. When the steak is done to your specifications, move it to a plate and keep warm while making the sauce.

There are differences of opinion when it comes to the sauce for steak au poivre. The classic way is with brandy or cognac and heavy cream. And being a classic, that’s how I like it. Add a little more butter to the hot dark brown stuff in the pan, throw in some brandy or cognac, stir, then add some heavy cream. I like to slice the steak at an angle and dribble the sauce over it. Voila! C’est bon!

Steak au poivre is typically served with some type of potato and a salad. Last night I sliced yellow flesh potatoes around ¼ inch thick, brushed with olive oil and some (pink) salt, and roasted at 350 for around ½ hour. Of course ovens vary so check for a light golden brown color after 15 or 20 minutes. Sweet. Seriously. Roasted yellow flesh potatoes are sweet. And they look great lying next to steak au poivre on a pretty pink or aqua plate. With a glass of red wine off to the top right.

And as my cousin Janet would say, “Enjoooy!”

I’m not a chef. I lay no claim to being an authority on food or cooking. I’m a good cook, and a lover of good food. And I know how to spell and put a sentence together. This column is simply meant to be fun, and hopefully inspiring. So to anyone reading this whose hackles are raised because you know more about the subject of food than I, relax. I believe you.