This classic French dish is made with steaks coated and embedded with cracked peppercorns. Steaks are usually crispy pan fried and an incredibly delicious yet simple sauce is made with its drippings.
The sauce often includes olive oil, butter, cognac, broth and wine; flavors can also be enhanced with any combination of minced shallots, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, herbs, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, etc.
The sauce is often finished with heavy cream. Even the color and variety of peppercorns used are debated.
The good news, I’ve enjoyed many varieties of Steak au Poivre including those in restaurants in France and can’t recall ever being disappointed.
I typically use New York strip steaks but filets, tenderloins, and boneless rib eye are all good alternatives. I also like my steaks thicker, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inch. Common black or multi colored peppercorns work equally well. My recipe uses butter, cognac, red wine, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
Zip lock bag and a meat pounder are a convenient way to coarsely crack the peppercorns. Traditional pepper mills set course still produce peppercorns too fine.
Although I prefer not to make the sauce cream based, you can finish the dish with heavy cream to taste if desired. I also like an abundant amount of sauce.
I think chicken stock’s flavor is more intense than beef stock and is indistinguishable in the final sauce. Worcestershire spikes flavor and lemon complements well.
I enjoy my finished steaks medium rare. Pan fry and crust steaks rare initially. Once sauce is finished, quickly reheat steaks to final desired temperature. Remember steaks will continue cooking when initially removed from heat.