Au Poivre Style Recipe

Bring steaks to temperature & season

Remove steaks from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes. Pat both sides dry with paper towels. Lightly season both sides with kosher salt. Press coarsely cracked black pepper into both sides of each steak so a dense crust adheres.

Preheat pan

Heat a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high to high heat until very hot, about 3–5 minutes. Add neutral oil and swirl to coat; oil should shimmer but not smoke heavily.

Sear steaks

Place steaks in the pan, pressing down briefly for full contact. Sear without moving until a deep brown crust forms, about 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare (thicker steaks may take longer). During the final 30–45 seconds of the second side, add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and spoon melted butter over the steaks (baste) to build flavor.

Rest steaks

Transfer steaks to a warm plate or cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let rest 8–10 minutes while you make the sauce. Reserve any browned bits and pan drippings in the skillet.

Sauté shallot

Reduce heat to medium. If the pan is dry, add 1 tablespoon of the reserved butter or 1 teaspoon oil. Add the minced shallot to the hot pan and sauté until softened and translucent, about 1–2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Flambé or deglaze with brandy (optional)

Carefully add the brandy or cognac to the pan. If comfortable and safe, tip the pan away from you and ignite briefly to burn off alcohol (flambé) — stand back and have a lid nearby. Alternatively, let the brandy simmer for 30–60 seconds to reduce and cook off the alcohol, scraping the fond.

Add stock & reduce

Pour in beef stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce by roughly half, about 4–6 minutes, until slightly thickened and concentrated in flavor.

Finish with cream and mustard

Lower heat to medium-low and stir in heavy cream and Dijon mustard. Add 1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper reserved for the sauce. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 2–3 minutes.

Mount with butter & season

Remove the pan from heat. Whisk in the cold butter pieces a few at a time to create a glossy emulsified sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with up to 1 teaspoon salt or more to preference.

Return steaks to pan

Place the rested steaks back into the pan briefly (30–45 seconds per side) to warm through and coat with sauce. Spoon sauce over steaks to finish.

Transfer steaks to plates, spoon additional sauce over each. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if using and serve with a lemon wedge on the side for a bright finish. Serve immediately.