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I recently had textbook-perfect steak au poivre at Gjusta in Venice, CA. If you haven’t had it before, it’s a classic French dish of steak drenched in creamy pepper sauce. It’s old school, but I think it deserves a comeback, which is why it got a spot in my first cookbook, out this April. A nice cut of steak is pan-fried (turn on all your vents and open the windows), and its juices, along with cognac, cream, and black pepper turn into a pan sauce of your 10 p.m. Parisian dinner dreams. Make sure to use freshly ground pepper, which has a brighter, fresher flavor than the preground stuff. Whether you use a mortar and pestle or a pepper mill, grind or crack the peppercorns as coarsely as possible so they add big pops of flavor and crunch. —Molly Baz
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What you’ll need
Mortar and Pestle
$24 At Amazon
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Instant-Read Thermometer
$35 At Thermoworks
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
2
1
2
4
3
3
1
⅓
½
Preparation
Step 1
Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Season all over with kosher salt and a generous amount of ground pepper. Let sit 15–30 minutes.
Step 2
Coarsely crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or place in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a small saucepan (they should be a lot coarser than ground pepper).
Step 3
Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook steaks, undisturbed, until a deep golden brown crust forms underneath, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook on second side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. If the steaks have a fat cap, stand them on their sides with tongs and cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and 1 Tbsp. butter to the pan. Cook, basting steak continuously, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each steak registers 120°, about 2 minutes. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, combine shallot, sliced garlic, crushed peppercorns, and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in skillet and cook, stirring often, until shallot and garlic are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Step 6
Remove from heat and add cognac to pan. Set over medium heat and cook until cognac is mostly evaporated and spoon leaves streaks in skillet while stirring, 1–2 minutes. Add cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until sauce coats spoon, about 1 minute. Season with kosher salt.
Step 7
Slice steaks against the grain and transfer to a platter. Pour any juices from cutting board back into skillet and stir into sauce. Spoon sauce generously over steak; sprinkle with sea salt.
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Leave a Review
Reviews (82)
Back to TopThis turned out amazing. We cooked the steak to rare on the grill but added a tad of beef base (.25 tbp) to the sauce just before the cream went in. PERFECTION. Not the traditional method but fun for summer.
Martha in Louisville
Louisville, CO
7/18/2024
Our Son is a Chef at a high-end Restaurant in NY City and he gave me this recipe. AMAZING!!! I think I'm better than him now....Lol
Monty
Seattle Wa
1/13/2024
Yummy !!! Cooking time was spot on for my steak. Sauce was tasty and delicious. Nothing left on our plates.
Lina
Denver Colorado
1/9/2024
@JANE DOE QUEBEC, CANADA 1/22/2022 Don't review unless you make it. Simple ingredients, but very flavorful. I don't usually use a sauce for steak, but this was a tasty and easy change to the usual.
ROBIN
Seattle, WA
1/2/2024
Amazing. Used half Green Peppercorns as someone in the comments suggested and it really made a difference. Also used Sherry (1/4 cup) and added some concentrated beef stock. Best au poivre I've made (or had actually). Thanks Molly. You always come through.
Kevin
Los Angeles, CA
5/1/2023
I made this for my husband grown up son and myself today and had three clean plates is was lush
Dee
East Sussex England
9/18/2022
When I learned to make Steak au Poivre in France we used pickled or brined green peppercorns. Makes all the difference in the world...game changer. Now my secret is out
Elizabeth Simpson
San Francisco
5/23/2022