Steak au Poivre
Steak au Poivre, or pepper steak, is a classic French style steak. It's coated in crushed peppercorns that, when seared, creates a beautiful and crisp crust. The steak is finished with a cream based pan sauce that balances out the pepper perfectly. It's typically made with filet mignon, but you can always use a NY strip instead.
Ingredients :
- 2 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
- 2 filet mignon
- Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 Tbsp. cognac or brandy
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions :
- Place peppercorns in a clean kitchen towel and smash with a meat mallet, the bottom of a heavy skillet, or use a mortar and pestle until mostly halved or quartered. Transfer smashed peppercorns to a plate. Season steaks on both sides with salt, then press steaks into crushed peppercorns, turning to coat.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add steak and cook undisturbed until deeply browned , about 5 minutes. Flip and add butter. Continue cooking, spooning the butter over the steak, until desired doneness is reached, another 5 minutes for medium. Transfer steak to a board to let rest. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add shallot. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat and add cognac. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring until mostly reduced, 1 minute. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute more. Slowly stir in cream, taste, and season with salt. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.
- Slice steaks and serve with sauce spooned over.
