Classic French Steak Au Poivre
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Master the art of steak au poivre—pan-seared filet mignon coated in cracked peppercorns, finished with a rich Cognac sauce.
When I was twenty years old, I signed up to work as an au pair in Paris. I went there believing I’d be visiting museums and lingering in Parisian cafés as the children scampered about me in adorable berets. HA! The reality was far less glamorous: I spent my days chasing three mischievous little boys, wrangling a puppy, and ironing tiny clothes for hours.
But the job did have one special thing going for it: my host mother, Valérie, was a wonderful cook. When I think of her today, I still picture her standing at the kitchen table, crushing peppercorns with the back of a frying pan for her signature dish, steak au poivre—beef tenderloin fillet with a crunchy peppercorn crust and a rich Cognac sauce. Though I learned to make the dish working in a French restaurant, this steak au poivre recipe always brings me back to Valérie’s kitchen.
“I made this for my husband on Valentine’s day and he said it was one of the best things I have ever cooked.”
What You’ll Need To Make Steak au Poivre
- Vegetable Oil: Used to sear the steaks, ensuring they develop a rich, golden-brown crust; this type of oil stands up to the high heat required for a perfect sear.
- Filet mignons: Cut from the beef tenderloin, this lean, buttery-soft steak pairs nicely with the bold, peppery crust and rich, creamy sauce. New York strip steaks are also a great option if you prefer a heartier, more flavorful cut.
- Kosher salt: Brings out the natural flavors of the steak and balances the seasonings. Its coarse texture makes it easier to sprinkle evenly over the meat.
- Whole peppercorns: Cracked by hand, black peppercorns create the bold, spicy crust that defines the dish. For a twist, you can also add green peppercorns, which are milder.
- Unsalted Butter: Used to cook the shallots, it adds richness and depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Shallots: Their mild, sweet onion flavor adds a layer of complexity to the sauce without overwhelming the taste of the steak.
- Cognac: Deglazes the pan, adding a complex, slightly sweet flavor that’s the foundation of the sauce. Feel free to substitute brandy if that’s what you have on hand.
- Heavy cream: The key to the au poivre sauce’s creamy texture, it balances the heat of the peppercorns and enriches the flavor.
- Dijon mustard: Adds tanginess and depth to the sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sear the Steaks
To begin, seal the peppercorns inside a small plastic bag and place on a cutting board. Using a meat pounder, pound the peppercorns until they are coarsely crushed.
Pat the steaks dry and, if they are thick, gently press them down so that they are about 1-1/2 inches tall. Season the steaks all over with the crushed peppercorns and salt, pressing to make sure the seasoning adheres.
In a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the steaks.
Cook about 4 minutes on each side, turning only once, for medium-rare (or about 5 minutes per side for medium). Transfer the steaks to a plate and tent with foil.
Step 2: Make the Pan Sauce
Pour off the excess fat from the pan but do not wipe clean. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the butter and shallots.
Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping up the brown bits, until the shallots are golden brown and softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Carefully add the Cognac (it may flare up) and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. You can flambé the alcohol if you’d like, but it’s not necessary—simmering will burn it off just the same. Just be cautious: If you’re cooking over a gas flame, it’s easy for the Cognac to ignite unexpectedly when it hits the pan, which can be alarming, especially when the flames get a little too close to your cabinets!
Cook until the liquid is reduced to a glaze and mostly absorbed by the shallots, a few minutes.
Add the cream and mustard and bring to a gentle boil.
Simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes, and then stir in any meat juices that accumulated on the plate.
Transfer the steaks to plates and spoon the cream sauce over top. Pair steak au poivre with roasted potatoes and a simple green vegetable, like roasted asparagus, French green beans, or roasted Brussels sprouts.
Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
The key to achieving your preferred level of doneness is using a meat thermometer and understanding the correct internal temperatures: 120-125°F for rare, 130-135°F for medium-rare, 140-145°F for medium, 150-155°F for medium-well, and 160-165°F for well done. Remember to remove the steak from the heat a few degrees before it reaches the target temperature, as it will continue to cook while resting. Allowing the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving also helps redistribute the juices, ensuring a moist and flavorful steak.
For cooking steak, I recommend cast iron or stainless steel skillets. Cast iron provides superior heat retention for an even sear, while stainless steel offers excellent heat transfer and is great for browning and making sauces. Both are perfect for getting that restaurant-quality sear that truly makes a great steak.
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Steak au Poivre
Master the art of steak au poivre—pan-seared filet mignon coated in cracked peppercorns, finished with a rich Cognac sauce.
Ingredients
- Four 6- to 8-ounce filet mignons
- 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup finely chopped shallots, from 1 medium shallot
- ½ cup Cognac or other brandy
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Pat the steaks dry and, if they are thick, gently press them down so that they are about 1½ inches thick. Season the steaks all over with the salt.
- Seal the peppercorns inside a small plastic bag and place on a cutting board. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a frying pan, pound the peppercorns until they are coarsely crushed. Press the crushed pepper evenly onto both sides of the steaks.
- In a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the steaks and cook about 4 minutes on each side, turning only once, for medium-rare (or about 5 minutes per side for medium). Transfer the steaks to a plate and tent with foil.
- Pour off the excess fat from the pan but do not wipe clean. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the butter and shallots. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping up the brown bits, until the shallots are golden brown and softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully add the Cognac (it may ignite) and boil, again stirring to scrape up the brown bits, until the liquid is reduced to a glaze and mostly absorbed by the shallots, a few minutes. Add the cream and mustard and gently boil until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in any meat juices that accumulated on the plate. Transfer the steaks to plates and spoon the sauce over top.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 6-oz filet
- Calories: 721
- Fat: 55 g
- Saturated fat: 26 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Sodium: 587 mg
- Cholesterol: 217 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn. We love this recipe (and your web site/cookbooks) and use them all the time. I’m curious about one thing. Given we’re already adding kosher salt to the steak, why the need for unsalted butter?
Hi Mike, so glad you like this! The primary reason I call for unsalted butter in recipes is that the amount of salt in salted butter varies by brand. This makes it harder to calibrate the rest of your seasoning in the recipe.
I made this for my valentine this past Friday. It was fabulous and simple. He loved it!
So did I!
Any provisions to make if cooking two steaks instead of four? Thank you!
Hi Andrew, if you’re cutting all the ingredients in half, I’d use a smaller skillet so the sauce reduces appropriately. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you. To be clear, maybe a 10 inch skillet for two and a 12 inch skillet for four steaks?
A 10-inch skillet is fine, but for that size, I’d keep the amount of sauce the same instead of halving it.
I’m looking forward to making this tomorrow for my son’s visit! Question- can I use green peppercorns, as that’s what I have?
Hi Deb, I don’t recommend green peppercorns for this — sorry!
i’ve cooked steaks, been to top steakhouses–this was as good or better than them all; a couple of points to consider; readers should be told to preferably purchase a center cut, rounded filet, since there are others in the meat case that aren’t uniformly thick, creating a cooking dilemma; 2d, here many of the tenderloins are bigger than 1.5 inch, and preferred that way by some; these may be apt to get too charred on the outside, while also creating a lot of smoke in the kitchen; i tried one reviewer’s suggestion(that would be worth noting in recipe area) of finishing the steak in the oven–worked perfectly–just have a good meat thermometer…
I have never cooked a typical steak in my life – I generally leave that to my husband as he prepares a wonderful steak on the stovetop. However, it was our anniversary and I was wanted to surprise him with an elegant dinner. This steak recipe was perfect! Cooked about 5-6 minutes on each side because our filet mignons were a little thicker than the 1.5 inches. It was so good, especially considering this was my first attempt! Served with Jenn’s suggestion of roasted potatoes and French green beans. I make these sides all the time and they are easy, but still elevated enough to make a wonderful special dinner. Amazing!! And the sauce is sooo good!! Thank you for making our anniversary so special!!
This was fabulous! And easy. Cooked on cast iron skillet on stovetop. Thank you!