What Is Steak au Poivre?

Steak au poivre is a classic French dish that translates to “pepper steak”. Traditionally made with a tender cut like filet mignon, the steak is seared to perfection and finished with a rich pan sauce made with cognac, cream and crushed peppercorns.

The beauty of this dish lies in the sauce—it’s made right in the same pan used to cook the steaks, so you get all the savory browned bits and juices left behind. This makes the sauce irresistibly good.

With just two main steps—cooking the steaks and preparing the sauce—this recipe is surprisingly quick and approachable. One key tip: have all your ingredients measured and ready to go before you begin. Once the steaks are done, the sauce comes together in about 10 minutes. From there, you can plate the steaks and spoon that velvety, peppery sauce right over the top.

This recipe serves two but can be easily doubled to serve four.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Steak au Poivre

• Steak. This recipe is traditionally made with filet mignons or beef tenderloins. Strip steak (sirloin) or ribeye – which have higher fat contents – work well too.
• Salt. Make sure to salt the steaks generously at least 30 minutes before cooking, to allow for the salt to penetrate the meat and bring out the best flavor of the steak.
• Whole Black peppercorns. Make sure you use freshly ground pepper for fresh taste.The peppercorns get crushed coarsely by hand (this is important!) – so you need a mortar and pestle, a meat pounder or a rolling pin for that. As per tradition, I prefer black peppercorns: bold, with a nice heat. If you prefer a milder taste, you can go with green peppercorns.
• Butter and Olive oil. Used to sear the steaks and create a nice sear. The butter brings richness while the oil stands up to a higher heat point, ensuring the steaks can sear perfectly. I like olive oil but you can also use a neutral oil such as canola.
• Garlic and Shallot. They get sautéed in the steak juices and build the base of the sauce.
• Cognac. It is used to deglaze the pan and add a sweet complexity to the sauce.
• Beef stock. To bump up the beef flavor in the sauce. Ideally use a low-sodium beef stock. 
• Heavy cream. This is a key ingredient in this recipe. Choose a rich, good quality cream with at least 35% m.f. The richness of heavy cream creates a smooth sauce and balances the punch of the crush peppercorns.
• Dijon mustard. A tablespoon of Dijon mustard adds a nice tang and complexity to the sauce.

How to Make Steak au Poivre (Step-by-Step)

Here is a quick rundown of this recipe. You can find the detailed ingredients and instructions at the bottom of this article.

1. Prep the Steaks: Pat steaks dry, season with salt and freshly crushed pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Sear: In a hot skillet with butter and oil, sear steaks 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm plate and rest under foil.
3. Make the Sauce: In the same pan on medium heat, sauté garlic and shallots, deglaze with cognac, add peppercorns and beef stock. Simmer and reduce. Stir in cream and Dijon, cook until thickened. Season to taste.
4. Serve: Slice steaks, top with sauce, and serve with your choice of sides.

Focus on: Cracking the peppercorns

It’s essential to crack your own peppercorns for this recipe—using a mortar and pestle, a rolling pin, or a meat pounder. My preferred method is to fold the peppercorns in a kitchen towel and crush them with a French rolling pin.

Aim for a coarsely cracked texture: all the peppercorns should be broken open (whole ones are unpleasant to bite into), but not ground into a powder. The finer you grind them, the more intense and spicier the result. I prefer keeping them coarsely cracked to get a bold pepper flavor that’s assertive but not overpowering.

Tips for perfect steaks

• Use near room-temperature steaks for even cooking. Take the steaks out of the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking. This allows them to come back to room temperature and avoids a shock of temperature when placed in the hot pan – which can toughen the meat.
• Salt the steaks 30 minutes before cooking. This gives time for the salt to penetrate the meat and enhance its flavor.
• Use both butter and oil to sear the steaks. This is what works best in my opinion. Butter provides richness and oil stands a higher heat point. This mix helps creates a nice brown sear on the steaks, meaning extra flavor!
• Rest the steaks before slicing them. I like to let the steaks rest on a cutting board under foil for about 10-15 minutes before slicing them. This gives time for the juices to distribute evenly in the steaks, make them more tender.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut of steak is best for steak au poivre?

Filet mignon and beef tenderloins or filet mignons (the front end of tenderloins) are the best steaks to use for Steak au Poivre. These cuts are lean and full of flavor, with filet mignon being extremely tender.  New York strip or ribeye work well too, but be sure to trim any excess fat or gristle before cooking

What alcohol is best for au poivre sauce?

Cognac is traditionally used for the steak au poivre sauce. This French eau-de-vie brings sweet, warm notes to the sauce. If you don’t have Cognac on hand, Brandy works well too.

Can I make the sauce without alcohol?

The alcohol completely burns off when you cook the sauce. But if you really wish to make the sauce without it, yes you can. You can use more beef broth to deglaze the pan and build the sauce: use 1 cup of beef broth, instead of ¾ cup beef broth + ¼ cup cognac.

Can I make this recipe ahead?

The sauce can be made ahead and gently reheated, but the steaks should be cooked fresh.

Serving Suggestions

This is a great recipe for a special dinner for two or a gourmet lunch. Steak au Poivre is traditionally served with fries, and it also pairs well with green beans almondine, buttered peas, mashed potatoes and crusty French bread on the side to mop up the juices.

I hope you’ll love this steak au poivre recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More classic French recipes you may like: 

• Classic Beef Bourguignon
• Classic French Coq Au Vin Rouge
• French Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti)
• French Beef Daube (Daube Provençale)
• French Tarragon Chicken 
• Simple Chicken Marengo with Mushrooms 

Classic Steak au Poivre

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 8 voted )

Ingredients

2 filet mignons/tenderloin or strip steaks (about 6-8 oz each, 1.5 inches thick)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
1oz (30g) whole black peppercorns, roughly crushed
3 tbsp (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
1 shallot, peeled and finely minced
¼ cup (60ml) cognac or brandy
¾ cup (180ml) beef stock (ideally, low sodium)
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Prepare the steaks. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Press the pepper onto the steaks so they stick and let sit on the counter for 1 hour.
2. Sear the steaks. Heat up the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the steaks. Sear for 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare (adjust time based on thickness). Transfer steaks to a warm plate and loosely cover with foil. Resting the steaks before slicing ensures the juice are evenly distributed.
3. Make the sauce. Lower heat to medium. In the same pan, sauté the minced garlic and shallot until golden for about 1 minute. Carefully deglaze with cognac, scraping up browned bits. Add the crush peppercorns and beef stock, bring to a simmer and reduce by half. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Add heavy cream and Dijon, stirring constantly until thickened for about 3 minutes. Don’t overcook the sauce—cream can break if boiled too hard or too long. Season with salt to taste.
4. For serving, slice the steaks into strips, place on plates and spoon the warm peppercorn sauce over each one. Serve immediately with French fries, mashed potatoes, or a simple green salad.

Notes...

Once completly cooled, the sauce can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in an saucepan on the stove top over medium-low heat.

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