How to Make Steak au Poivre

The flavor of the peppercorns is almost as important as that of the beautifully marbled steak in this recipe, so we hope you’ll take the time to carefully toast and crush these peppercorns for optimal flavor. We know you’ll truly appreciate the difference a little extra time takes in this simple recipe.

Steak au Poivre Recipe

Roughly Four Servings

Ingredients:

• Wagyu steak or roast (this sauce is a wonderful accompaniment to any product in our Signature Wagyu line)
• Kosher salt
• 1 oz Burlap and Barrel Robusta Black Peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons oil, vegetable or canola
• 1 tablespoon of salted Ploughgate Butter
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2-3 sprigs of thyme
• ½ of a large shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons of cognac
• ¾ cup chicken or beef broth (homemade preferred)
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of Wilder Dijonish Mustard

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the thawed steak from the fridge and packaging, moving to a baking sheet with a wire rack. Season with salt and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the peppercorns for a few minutes until they just start to smell particularly fragrant. Stir or toss frequently, making sure not to scorch them. Remove from the pan to a mortar and pestle to crush or use a spice grinder pulsed a few times. A pepper grinder is likely to mill these too finely for this recipe and the smaller grinds will burn on your steak during cooking. With your hands or by spreading the peppercorns on a plate, pack the crushed pepper onto one side of the steak to create a crust. Don’t discard what remains of the peppercorns as they’ll be used in the sauce.

Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tbsp of oil (vegetable or olive oil) until the oil starts to dance and shimmer. Carefully lay your steak pepper-crust side down and cook for 3 minutes until it develops a nice brown crust. Carefully flip over and add the garlic, thyme, and butter to the pan, basting for 1-2 minutes longer to sear the other side. Move the steak back to the wire rack-lined baking sheet, setting aside the skillet with the fat and aromatics. Move the baking sheet to the oven and cook until the internal temperature of the steak reaches at least 125 degrees F. Remove from the oven and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes prior to slicing.

While the steak cooks and rests, remove the garlic and thyme from the skillet and pour out all but 1 tbsp of fat. Over medium heat, add shallots and reserved peppercorns and sauté until the shallots are tender and fragrant. Remove the pan from your stove, carefully add the cognac, then return to the heat, reducing until it almost completely evaporated.

Add the stock, scraping with a wooden utensil to release the fond (the delicious, browned bits) from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in heavy cream and simmer until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Spoon the sauce over the sliced steak alongside pomme frites, imagine you are in a small rural, seaside bistro in Normandy, and enjoy.