(This recipe is adapted from a combination of this Bon Appetit recipe and this Serious Eats recipe)
I fell in love with this dish at our favorite restaurant in Portland, Wayside Tavern, which is dangerously close to where we live! It turns out it’s relatively easy to make at home and only uses a few ingredients.
Steak au poivre (pronounced “steak oh pwahv-ruh” and translates to pepper steak) is a French dish where steak (typically fillet mignon) is coated in coarsely cracked peppercorns that gets seared until you have a crispy peppery crust. It gets served in a creamy cognac sauce spiked with more black pepper. I tried to simplify the recipe as much as possible, leaving out the cognac and using water in place of beef broth. Dean and I are both very happy with the results and my dad approves!
The dish is classically served with either fries or pureed potatoes, but any version of a potato (roasted, mashed, boiled) will work. The perfect bite (in this order) is potato and a piece of steak dragged in that rich peppery sauce. So good!!
Note: cooking the steak is a very smoky situation, so be prepared and open your windows!
Ingredient highlight
Beef! Is an extremely nutrient-dense animal protein with lots of iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium to name a few. Look for “100% grass-fed” on the label for the highest quality beef.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 1.25-1.5 lbs boneless steaks*
- Kosher salt (about 1-1 ½ teaspoons)
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped/minced
- ¾ cup water**
- 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari**
- 2 sprigs thyme (optional)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
For serving:
- Potatoes (mashed, roasted, or boiled)***
- Fresh herbs (parsley or chives(
- Simple green salad or roasted broccolini (optional)
- *You could really do this with any cut of steak, but it’s best with a beef tenderloin medallion (like fillet mignon) or NY strip. You could even use pork tenderloin medallions instead. The thickness of the steak will determine how long it needs to cook, so make sure you use an instant read thermometer!
- **Replace the water/soy sauce with ¾ cup of a rich beef or chicken stock if you have it.
- ***This is classically served with mashed potatoes, but a potato in any form is delicious. You could also do a combo of roasted potatoes/veggies.
Steak doneness temp guide:
- Rare: 120°F – 130°F
- Med-rare: 130°F – 135°F
- Med: 135°F – 145°F
- Med-well: 150°F – 155°F
- Well-done: 160°F – 165°F
Grilling option:
- If you prefer to grill your steaks, you totally can. You can make the sauce in a skillet, the only negatives are that you won’t get the bits of caramelized beef in the skillet to add flavor to the sauce AND you won’t get that same crispy browned crust. The benefit is you won’t smoke out your kitchen!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
For the steak:
- Pat the steak dry and season with the salt all over. Season generously with the freshly ground black pepper on the top and bottom, using your hands to press the pepper into the steak. Set aside.
- Use a mortar and pestle to crush the whole black peppercorns. Alternatively, add them to a zip top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. You want large coarse peppercorn pieces, not ground.
- In a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once hot/shimmering, add the steaks. Press them down gently and cook for 3 minutes or until you have a beautiful dark brown crust (things are going to get smoky!).
- Carefully flip and cook for 2 more minutes on the other side until browned. If the steak is not cooked to your liking at this point (see temp guide), place them on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven until you reach the desired temperature (check every 2-3 minutes). Once they are done, place them on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Save any juices from the steaks to add back into the sauce (see below).
To make the sauce:
- Let the skillet cool down for a minute. Add the butter to the pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the crushed peppercorns and shallots and cook for a minute or until the shallots begin to brown, stirring often. Add water, soy sauce, and thyme (if using) and bring to a rapid simmer, scraping up any brown bits. Remove the thyme (if using).
- Stir in heavy cream and simmer over medium-low heat until sauce reduces and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. It will continue to thicken as it cools off a bit. Turn off the heat and whisk in the mustard until smooth. Taste and season with salt, if needed.
- Thinly slice the steaks against the grain. Use individual plates for serving. Spoon some of the sauce onto each plate. Place the steak on top. Drizzle a bit more sauce down the center of the steak. Sprinkle herbs all over (if using). Serve with potatoes of choice and/or veggies (if using).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Season the steaks, then store uncovered in the fridge up to overnight
- Crush 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- Finely chop 1 shallot
Substitutions:
- Cannot be made vegan.
- Use pork tenderloin medallions in place of beef. You could also try with chicken, but I don’t think the pepper will stick as well and you won’t get the same crust.
- To make dairy-free, use a vegan butter and replace the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days – store the components separately.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover steak gently in the microwave until just warm. Warm up leftover sauce int he microwave in 10 second intervals or until warm. To loosen the sauce, stir in a splash of water or milk.
- Use leftover steak on top of a salad, in tacos, etc…
- Serve with a green salad and/or roasted or grilled veg.
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