Butter-Basted Steak Au Poivre with Brandy Pan Sauce
Prep Time: 30mins
Cook Time: 20mins
My spin on the classic French dish consists of steak coated in freshly cracked peppercorns, pan seared in a screaming hot cast iron pan and basted in butter to create a flavorful golden-brown crust on the outside of the steak.
My spin on the classic French dish consists of steak coated in freshly cracked peppercorns, pan seared in a screaming hot cast iron pan and basted in butter to create a flavorful golden-brown crust on the outside of the steak.
Butter-Basted Steak Au Poivre with Brandy Pan Sauce
While the name implies a “difficult-to-create” French recipe, in actuality it is an attainable one even for a beginner. And it can be done in the comfort of your own home. This steak dish is elevated with a pan sauce created from the drippings left in the pan from searing the steak, beef broth, a bit of brandy, and thickened with crème fraîche.
Serve the steak alongside a generous portion of crispy fries (tip: try dipping them in the leftover sauce) and some greens for a restaurant-quality entrée.
More About This Recipe
The most important thing is to source the highest quality of meat available. This makes a huge difference in the flavor. Chairman’s Reserve® Meats is the top tier of USDA Choice grade beef. 2020 is the brand’s 20th anniversary, marking 20 years of high quality beef and pork.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
Peppercorns – Don’t be alarmed by the amount of pepper used to season the steaks – it helps to create a crisp and flavorful crust on the meat. Use a pepper mill set to the coarsest setting to create larger cracked pieces of peppercorn rather than a fine grind to create a good crust. This can also be done by wrapping the peppercorns in a clean dish towel and then crushing them under a heavy-bottomed skillet.
Ribeye – The ribeye cut, as used in this recipe, comes from the primal section or beef rib. I love cooking this cut of beef because it is extremely marbled; it is great when it’s pan-seared – it cooks surrounded by its fat and remains tender with a rich, bold flavor without a marinade.
How to Make Steak Au Poivre
Season the ribeye. Season the ribeye all over with salt and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Season the steak with the peppercorns all over, pressing the peppercorns into the meat so that it adheres when cooked.
Cook the ribeye. Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Add the steak and cook until the bottom develops a golden-brown crust, about 5 minutes. Turn the steaks, then add the butter to the pan. Continue to cook, basting the steak with the melted butter until the steak is medium rare, about an additional 4 minutes.
Let the meat rest. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Sauté shallot. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan then return to medium-high heat. Add the shallot and sauté until the shallot is tender and opaque, about 2 minutes.
Make the pan sauce. Then add the cognac and ignite it with a kitchen lighter (do not stand too close as there will be a flame). Allow the alcohol to burn off for about a minute then add the stock. Cook until the mixture has reduced by about half, about an additional 4 minutes. Whisk in the crème fraiche and continue to cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
Assemble and serve. Slice the steak into ½” strips. Divide the steak slices among plates and spoon the pan-sauce over the top. Serve immediately with a side of fries and salad.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this classic steak au poivre recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
1½tablespoonscracked black peppercornsor mixed peppercorns
2tablespoonsvegetable oil
6tablespoonsunsalted butter
1medium shallot,diced
¼cupbrandy
1cupbeef stock
¼cupcrème fraîche
Instructions:
Season the ribeye all over with salt and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Season the steak with the peppercorns all over, pressing the peppercorns into the meat so that it adheres when cooked.
Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Add the steak and cook until the bottom develops a golden-brown crust, about 5 minutes. Turn the steaks, then add the butter to the pan. Continue to cook, basting the steak with the melted butter until the steak is medium rare, about an additional 4 minutes.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan then return to medium-high heat. Add the shallot and sauté until the shallot is tender and opaque, about 2 minutes.
Then add the cognac and ignite it with a kitchen lighter (do not stand too close as there will be a flame). Allow the alcohol to burn off for about a minute then add the stock. Cook until the mixture has reduced by about half, about an additional 4 minutes. Whisk in the crème fraiche and continue to cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
Slice the steak into ½” strips. Divide the steak slices among plates and spoon the pan-sauce over the top. Serve immediately with a side of fries and salad.
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