Rich steak, enlivened with peppercorns and bathed in pan juices enriched with cream just may be my favorite steak preparation. I’m not alone. Steak au poivre (pepper steak) has been revered for more than a century in France and beyond. The cream and booze in the sauce sound old school, but few dishes have as much staying power as this classic.
Unlike other elaborate French preparations, the dish features a basic pan sauce—no long-simmering stocks or fancy emulsions required. After searing the steaks, simply deglaze the pan juices with spirits and then soften the mixture with sweet shallots, cream and a bit of tangy Dijon.
Some recipes direct the cook to press crushed dried peppercorns into the surface of the uncooked steak. Any mix of dried peppercorns works for this method: sharp black, earthy white, perfumey pink, even the tongue-tingling Szechuan peppercorns.
Soft, mild-tasting green peppercorns starred in a memorable steak au poivre version enjoyed on our Belgian vacation. Green peppercorns are simply unripe peppercorns—they pack less heat and sport more vegetable flavor. At home, I use green Madagascar peppercorns, packed in a salty brine and imported from France. Look for them in specialty markets and on the internet. Since these peppercorns are soft, I add them to the sauce rather than pressed into the steak.
A preheated pan is the key to success. A hot pan sears the steaks nicely and provides flavorful pan juices that become the base of the pan sauce.
Most of the year, we pan-sear the steak on the stovetop with the exhaust fan set on high. For an end-of-summer celebration, I set the cast-iron skillet over a hardwood fire in the grill. This adds a hint of smoke to the finished dish. A gas grill, outfitted with a foil packet of wood chips works well, too.
Once the steak has seared in the pan on the grill, carefully transfer the pan to the stovetop. Move the steaks to a warm oven. Then, work over a burner to deglaze the steak drippings with a moderately priced brandy, dry red wine or dry port. A sensible amount of cream pulls the pan juices together.
This green peppercorn sauce proves a beautiful partner to roasted cauliflower; swap in vegetable broth to make this a meatless main dish.
Serve the steaks with a Little Gem lettuce salad topped with cherry tomatoes, blue cheese and chives. A red wine vinaigrette makes the perfect dressing.
Grilled Steak au Poivre With Green Peppercorns and Brandy
Makes 2 servings- 2 ribeye beef steaks, each about 1 inch thick and 12 ounces
- Salt
- Vegetable oil for high-heat cooking
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons drained canned green peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Fresh herbs for garnish
2. Heat the oven to its lowest setting. Have a sheet pan ready.
3. Preheat a gas grill to medium-hot or prepare a charcoal grill and let coals burn until covered with gray ash. When the grill is hot, place a large 12-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet on the grill grate. Cover the grill and heat the pan until a drop of water sizzles on contact, about 10 minutes.
4. Lightly oil the steaks on both sides and place them in the heated skillet on the grill. Cover the grill and cook without turning, for 4 minutes. Flip and cook to brown the second side and nearly finish the cooking, 2 or 3 minutes, or about 130 degrees on a thermometer. Remove steaks to the sheet pan and place in the oven while you make the sauce. Reserve the skillet.
5. Put the skillet the steak was in over a burner on medium-high. Add the shallots and brandy. Boil, scraping up pan drippings, until liquid has reduced by half. Add broth and boil to reduce by half again. Stir in cream, peppercorns, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon. Boil to reduce sauce to the thickness of heavy cream. Taste for salt.
6. Pour sauce over steaks. Garnish with herbs.
Recipe note: No grill? No worries! Simply cook the steak as directed on a burner set to medium-high.
