Steak au Poivre

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings

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.

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!

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).

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).

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.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days - store the components separately.

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.