This Classic Steak Au Poivre is a true French dinnertime icon. Seared steaks are drenched in a creamy shallot pan sauce that is to-die-for delicious. Whip up this easy MKL recipe and enjoy a retro trip to a French bistro table tonight. Read on for a little bit of info about this classic dish, or just jump ahead to the recipe itself.

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What is Steak Au Poivre?

Steak au Poivre, or “pepper steak,” is a classic French bistro dish consisting of seared steaks (typically filet mignon) with a creamy shallot and cognac sauce. The steaks are coated in a thick crust of freshly cracked black peppercorns, hence the name “au poivre.”

What cut of beef is used in steak au poivre?

While you’ll see this dish prepared with different cuts of beef (I used sirloin in the photos here), the classic choice is filet mignon. I’d encourage you to choose the cut that you like the most, however, as the sauce is wonderful on pretty much anything. Filet is pricier than sirloin, so the latter might make for the more budget-friendly option here without sacrificing one bit of flavor. Though I have made this dish with ribeye and it was out-of-this-world delicious. It was richer and more decadent, and made for a really special and indulgent holiday dinner in the past.

What is the difference between Steak au Poivre and Steak Diane?

Steak Diane, unlike, Steak au Poivre, contains mushrooms in the sauce, along with mustard. The use of Dijon in the pan sauce separates the two dishes, and brings an additional layer of flavor to the American Steak Diane. The beauty of Steak au Poivre lies in its simplicity, though, and you don’t need things like mushrooms, mustard, or tomato paste (sometimes found in Steak Diane recipes) to really create something extraordinary.

What do you eat with Steak au Poivre?

I thought you’d never ask! Just kidding. This is a super common question for recipes like this, but I think the best choice is some manner of potato. You could go with a mashed, this gratin or that gratin (as that would be very French as well), a roasted potatoes option, a smashed potatoes option, or my very best baked French fries. If you haven’t given my baked french fries recipe a try, I highly suggest you do so with this Steak au Poivre recipe. The potatoes can just do their thing in the oven while you take care of the steaks.

Easy, delicious, as so very classic. We get to pretend we’re at a bistro without leaving our own kitchens, which is maybe my favorite brand of make-believe.

P.S. These Best Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls would also be killer with this meal. Just saying.

What you’ll need

I take a couple of small liberties here, which doesn’t mean this recipe isn’t classic. I don’t want to go out and buy Cognac just to make this dish, so I use Bourbon which is a fine substitute for the more traditional Cognac that is used in Steak Au Poivre. Brandy also works as well.

Furthermore, if you don’t care to cook with any alcohol at all, you can skip that and substitute additional stock. That’s okay, too. If you are going the non booze route, I would suggest adding in a couple teaspoons of Dijon mustard to help make up for that lost flavor. The Dijon is typically found in a classic Steak Diane recipe, and not an Au Poivre, but it works great in both. Between us, I actually sneak some Dijon in my Au Poivre sauce because it’s too damn delicious not to.

INGREDIENTS

You’ll want to open some windows for this one, or fully engage your exhaust fan – but it’s SO worth it. This peppery steak and garlicky, cognac-laced cream sauce is the stuff my dinnertime dreams are made of. It’s very quick and simple to make, just note that steaks are at their best when they’re cooked from room temp (not cold). The mustard and Worcestershire aren’t classic in this dish, but they’re delicious to me so in they go …

4 steaks (filet mignon is classic, sirloins are also great)

Salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (not traditional, but delish)

Two teaspoons Dijon mustard

1.5 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

Two tablespoons butter

2 shallots, minced

4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed and 2 sliced

⅓ cup Cognac, brandy, or bourbon

⅓ to ½ cup heavy cream or half and half

Chopped chives, for garnish

How to make Steak Au Poivre

You’ll want to open some windows and/or crank up your exhaust fan for this one. Such is true for any and all manner of steak and beef cookery it seems. I have to so this for smash burgers and steak bites and … it’s just a beef thing, I suppose.

But this recipe comes together in a snap, and works best when you do your mise en place. Which is to say, that you will find that things roll along beautifully if you line up the sauce ingredients so they’re ready to throw in the pan at a moment’s notice. You’ll begin by searing off the steaks in some butter and oil. The butter is for flavor and the oil helps to rasie the smoke point of the butter. The oil helps things not burn, essentially.

Anyway, the bits of peppery fond (the leftover tasty browned bits) left behind will stand as the basis for the peppery cream sauce. We’ll saute a shallot and then add a mix of Worcestershire sauce (my addition) and beef stock. A splash of cream and some sliced garlic go in, creating one trulu magical sauce.

DIRECTIONS

One hour before cooking, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and lots of black pepper (“au poivre” does mean “with pepper,” after all). Let the steaks come up to room temp for about an hour.

Combine the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and stock.

Add the olive oil and butter to a large, heavy-bottomed pan set over medium high heat. When then butter has melted, add the smashed garlic cloves and the steaks. Cook for about 3 minutes per side (depending on how thick yours are), or until they’re cooked to your liking. During the last minute of cooking, tilt the pan and spoon/baste the garlicky butter and oil mixture over the steaks. Transfer them to a plate for now.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots and sliced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Deglaze with the cognac (or whatever you’re opting to use here), and cook for about a minute. Add the stock/mustard mixture, along with the cream and allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes to thicken slightly. Taste and season as needed.

When the steaks have rested for at least 8 to 10 minutes, slice them and serve them with the sauce spooned all over top. Garnish with chives and enjoy.