I’ve tried this sauce a few different ways to and ended up liking the sauce the most that had the Dijon mustard stirred in at the end, similar to Steak Diane. (Another delicious, fancy steak recipe, I’ll be posting soon).

What is Steak Au Poivre

Steak au poivre is steak with a black peppercorn sauce, made with green and black peppercorns, butter, heavy cream, and cognac. Some recipes add a bit of shallots and some add some mustard. I tried all the ways to see what I liked best.

What Steak to use for Steak au Poivre?

You can use various steaks, but the most common are filet mignon and strip steak. These are good choices as both don’t have a lot of fat. You could even use a cheaper cut such teres major (often referred to as faux filet). I wouldn’t recommend ribeye steak because that steak already has enough fat, but that’s just my opinion.

Ingredients for Steak au Poivre

• Steak
• Peppercorns
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Cognac or Brandy
• Shallots (optional)
• Heavy Cream
• Dijon Mustard
• Fresh Thyme or Parsley

How to Crush the Peppercorns

My pepper mill has a dial from fine to course and the course setting is perfect. However, you can crush with a rolling pin or use a mortar and pestle. This OXO salt mill and pepper mill set is the best I’ve ever tried. I have mine for 5 years now and the pepper mill crushed these peppercorns perfectly.

How to Add Peppercorns to the Steak

First of all, salt meat and allow to sit out to get to near room temperature 30 to 60 minutes in advance. Next, place crushed peppercorns on a plate and place steaks on the peppercorns. You may need to press them in. Cover both sides.

Part 1: Cook the Steak

• Place butter and olive oil in frying pan. Don’t use cast iron for this. Use a stainless steel frying pan because you will be making a sauce with heavy cream and alcohol.
• On a medium high heat, place steaks in pan and turn after four minutes. Cook another four minutes. You should already have a great sear.
• Use a meat thermometer to determine if the meat is where you want it. I usually will place in the oven in a different pan at 375 degrees F. to get to about 135 degrees F.
• If the steaks are at the temp you desire, remove from pan, tent with foil. Set aside.

Steak au Poivre Part 2: Make the Peppercorn Sauce

In same pan you cooked the steaks, without cleaning the pan, add the cognac.

You don’t want your sauce to have a heavy alcohol taste, but a more discreet rich flavor. You must burn off the alcohol by either cooking over low or to do it quickly, use the flambé technique.Caution: Have a lid ready. (Adding any alcohol to the fat can cause a kitchen geyser). Give it a few seconds and take off lid.

At this point you can flambé the cognac to burn off the alcohol, (take off burner to do so) or simmer to let the alcohol burn off.

• Add heavy cream, stir on low until sauce thickens and coats back of a spoon.
• Stir in Dijon Mustard.
• Season with salt.
• Serve immediately.

How to Safely Flambé Alcohol

Use a lighter to flame the cognac, but do this away from your stove or turn your gas stove off. The flame will burn off the alcohol and leave the flavor.

What is the Best Side Dish for Steak au Poivre?

Good sides include french fries, mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower and a dish of sautéed greens. Keep in mind how rich the sauce from heavy cream and butter. I might even just serve this with baked potatoes, which are just as easy to make as this dish.

Pin This

Steak Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• PERFECT Strip Steak (most popular post, most positive comments).
• Tomahawk Steak Reverse Sear
• Picanha (Brazilian Steak)
• Teres Major, a filet knock-off
• Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
• Beef Ribs in the Oven

Print

Steak au Poivre

Steak with French Style Pepper Sauce

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Keyword steak, steak au poivre

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 minute minute

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 tenderloin steaks or NY strip steaks see notes
• Kosher or Himalayan pink salt
• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns crushed (more if needed)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup Cognac or Brandy
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon shallots finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

Steak

• Trim any fat off of the steaks. Salt steaks and allow to sit out for 30 minutes.
• Crush peppercorns either with mortar and pestle, a course grind on pepper mill. If you have neither, place between towel and crush with mallet.
• Put crushed peppercorns on flat plate and place steak on peppercorns until both sides are coated.
  
• Heat butter and oil in frying pan on medium high.
• Add steaks to pan and cook on each side 3 to 4 minutes to get a good sear. Remove steaks from heat and from pan. Place in oven in a different pan to finish off to get desired temperature. Medium rare will between 130-135 F.
  

Peppercorn Sauce

• If you want to add shallots, soften these first before adding in water. You may need to add another tablespoon of butter to do this. Shallots are an option.
• Using same pan you cooked steaks in, add a tiny amount of water to stir up the bits from the bottom of pan. You can use broth if you happen to have some available, but no reason to open a whole box for this.
• Take off the stove and have a lid ready, as you add cognac to the pan. Adding in any alcohol to a hot pan with fat can produce a geyser effect so immediately place a lid on and wait a few seconds. You can flambé the cognac to burn off the alcohol or just heat for several minutes on stove on low, which will also burn off the alcohol. Make sure that is done before adding cream.
• Add some fresh thyme, on the stem, which you will remove later.
• Add in heavy cream and continue to stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Stir in Dijon mustard. Season with Salt.
• Remove thyme. Pour over steaks. Serve immediately.
  

Notes

You can make 4 tenderloin steaks or preferably medallions. You can also use New York Strip steaks. Doneness will be determined by thickness of the steaks, so please use meat thermometer. 

The post Steak au Poivre appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

People say Happy New Year. I’m wishing you a Happy Heart.

The happiness I wish for everyone this new year is a happy heart, no matter what comes your way. Happy hearts make the world a better place, help you live longer, and help those around you live longer.

Just dip a sugar cube into bitters, add a Luxardo cherry and an orange peel to a glass. Splash in some cognac. Add your favorite bubbly. Add sugar cube. Luxardo cherries are expensive, but worth it and nothing like those bright red ones on top of sundaes. The spiced cherry bitters by Woodford Reserve is because I love cherries, but you can use angostura bitters.

Forgive the cute little glasses. My champagne glasses broke this week. Flutes do keep those bubbles, but these are like little champagne shots, something out of the ordinary.

Print

Cherry Cognac Champagne Cocktail

Cherry Centric Champagne Cocktail

Course Cocktail

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Luxardo Maraschino Cherries
• Champagne or Sparkling Wine
• Orange Peel
• Sugar Cube
• Angostura bitters or Woodford Reserve spiced cherry bitters
• Cognac

Instructions

• I used small glasses to make champagne shots. However, a flute will keep your bubbles.
• Put cherry and orange peel into glass.
• Splash with cognac approximatley 1 to 4 champagne amount.
• Dip sugar cube into bitters and place in glass.
• Top with champagne.

The post Cherry Cognac Champagne Cocktail and a Happy Heart appeared first on Spinach Tiger.