Description
Classic Steak Au Poivre is a French steakhouse favorite featuring seared New York strip steaks coated in cracked peppercorns and finished with a luxurious Cognac cream sauce. Perfect for a romantic dinner or an elegant family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
2 New York Strip Steaks
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp freshly cracked pepper (plus 1 Tbsp crushed peppercorns)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
4 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
1/3 cup Cognac
1/3 cup heavy cream
Additional sea salt and thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Steaks: Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Generously season with sea salt and cracked pepper, then rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Prep the Aromatics: Dice shallot, crush garlic, portion butter, and crush the extra peppercorns.
- Sear the Steaks: Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Sear steaks 3–4 minutes per side until a golden crust forms.
- Butter Baste: Lower heat, add garlic, 1 Tbsp butter, and thyme. Tilt the pan and spoon melted butter over steaks. Rest steaks on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
- Make the Sauce: In the same skillet, sauté shallots for 1 minute, add peppercorns and 1 Tbsp butter. Remove from heat, carefully add Cognac, then return to low heat and reduce by half.
- Finish the Sauce: Stir in cream and simmer until it thickens. Add any juices from resting steaks.
- Serve: Slice steaks against the grain and top with the creamy peppercorn sauce.
Notes
Always remove the skillet from heat before adding Cognac to prevent flare-ups.
Cast iron gives the best sear, but a heavy-bottomed pan works too.
For a non-alcoholic version, replace Cognac with beef stock
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 steak with sauce
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Protein: 42g