Steak au poivre is a classic preparation for sauteed steak. It can be very good when it is not so buried in pepper and doused with flaming brandy that the flavor of the meat is utterly disguised. And the alcohol taste, as it is not boiled off completely, remains in the brandy, spoiling the taste of the meat. [Editor’s Note: The only thing that could possibly improve upon this steak is proper French fries.]–Julia Child and Jacques Pépin
Julia Child’s Steak au Poivre
Ingredients
For the steak
- One (1-pound) thick-cut, well-marbled strip steak*, about 1 inch (2 1/2 cm) thick
- 2 tablespoons mixed whole peppercorns, including black, white, green, Szechuan and Jamaican (whole allspice)
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (1/2 oz) unsalted butter
For the pan sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 tablespoons Cognac, (or bourbon or red wine)
- 1/2 cup beef stock or dark chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon (1/2 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the garnish
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley, (optional)
- Watercress, (optional)
Instructions
Sear the steak
- Trim the steak of any excess fat. Cut the meat into 2 pieces. Crush the peppercorns using a spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or the bottom of a heavy skillet.
- Sprinkle salt to taste on the top and bottom of the steaks, then press each side of each steak into the cracked peppercorns, encrusting the steaks as lightly or heavily, as you prefer. Heat the oil and the butter in a large, heavy saute pan or skillet over high heat. When the pan is quite hot but not smoking, add the peppered steaks. Cook, without nudging or fussing with the steak, for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the undersides are well seared.
- Turn the meat and cook until the steak is done to almost the desired doneness, about 1 1/2 minutes more for medium-rare, depending on the thickness of your steak.
- Leave the steak to rest on a warm platter for at least 10 minutes.
Make the pan sauce
- A few minutes before you intend to eat, return the pan with the drippings to medium heat. Add the shallots and saute briefly, stirring with a spoon to scrape the bottom of the skillet.
- Lean away from the stove (averting your face) and carefully pour the Cognac into the pan, holding the measuring cup close to the stove to avoid splashing. If desired, tilt the edge of the pan slightly over the burner flame or use a match to ignite the alcohol. Immediately turn the heat down. The Cognac will flame for a few seconds as the alcohol burns off. When the flames die down, cook for a few moments more and then add the stock. Bring the liquid back to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 2 to 5 minutes.
- Taste the pan sauce and adjust the seasoning as desired. Add the soft butter, tilting the pan rather than stirring the sauce, until the butter melts and is incorporated with the pan juices.
- Pour the poivre sauce over the steaks. Sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley, if desired, and garnish with sprigs of watercress.
Notes
*What is a strip steak?
Strip steak is a tender, well-marbled cut of meat from the short loin of a cow. You’ll also sometimes see it labeled as the Kansas City or New York strip. The strip is both exquisitely flavored and also relatively tender, seeing as it falls on the opposite side of the bone as the tenderloin, though it’s not nearly as buttery as the tenderloin. All this cut of meat needs is some high heat and simple seasoning to turn it into something with a terrific flavor that rivals a restaurant steak.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I love Julia Child. And I steak au poivre. Love. It. There’s a French restaurant in town that my husband and I like to go to and I always tell myself that this time I’m getting something different than the steak au poivre dinner that they serve with fantastic potatoes and broccoli rabe. I rarely get something different. So, when this recipe popped up I was pumped to bring one of my favorite meals to the house.
It was a bit of a chaotic meal and not near as relaxing as going out to fancy date night dinner (quickly eating steak while your toddler is walking in circles around the table trying to get the dog to drink from her milk cup isn’t exactly what I was hoping for) but this recipe is pretty classic and serves up that rich umami flavor that is so loved in this recipe. We roasted up some baby potatoes and I steamed (okay, I popped it in the microwave) some sugar snap peas for a quick side. Fully recommend this meal whether for a nice date night in or a fancy dinner while chaos ensues around you.
The steak thickness was 1 inch. I used 2 New York strips. I seared both of my steaks for 2 1/2 minutes on each side to achieve that really rich crust that I was looking for on the steak. We cooked both our steaks to medium. Total cooking time on high heat was 5 minutes.
This made 2 servings for us. GOOD servings. I think depending on what your dinner plans are, you could easily stretch it to 3 and just boost the sides.
This steak au poivre was outstanding. Cooking it, I felt like a real French chef. I even flamed the sauce for a real show! I never would have thought that a recipe like this would be a quick, easy weeknight dinner, but this absolutely was and surpassed my expectations.
The list of ingredients is so simple that you likely have them in your pantry, and it all comes together in a flash. I coated them in black and pink peppercorns—I highly recommend this combo. My steaks were 1 inch thick and I seared them for 2 minutes per side for a medium-rare steak. They turned out so tender and the sauce was delicious. I served this with a side of arugula and salt-roasted potatoes. My belly is so happy.
I used Armagnac in place of Cognac (my husband told me it’s the same thing but not as expensive as the premium cognac he nearly caught me using).
I seared the steaks for 2 minutes on each side and then also gave the fat cap on the side a quick sear. Mine were cooked to medium-rare. I did ignite the alcohol—what a show. May be good to instruct cooks to turn the heat down after it ignites.
We have access to a wonderful meat market where we get beautiful steaks, which usually get earmarked for the Big Green Egg. I happened to have a very large 14.6-ounce New York Strip that I thought would be perfect for this recipe.
Trimming the excess fat from the steak really helped to cut down the spatter when it hit the hot pan. My steak was 1 inch thick and I seared the pieces for 2 minutes on each side, to our desired medium-rare, and then transferred them to a warm oven to rest while I made the sauce.
I’ve never flambéed liquor before and was excited about the prospect, but ultimately chickened out for fear of catching the house (or myself) on fire. I used bourbon for the sauce and just cooked it down a bit before adding the stock and continued on as directed.
All the timings were spot on for each step, and the perfectly portioned steaks were melt-in-your-mouth fabulous! The very flavorful poivre sauce turned these steaks into a restaurant-worthy entrée which can be prepared at home in under 30 minutes. I served these steaks with creamy mashed potatoes and steamed haricot verts. A very pretty and impressive dinner! We gave this recipe a perfect 10 rating!
I’ve made steak au poivre several times in the past as it’s one of my favourite ways to make steak for date night. I was intrigued with Julia Child’s recipe as the recipes I’ve followed in the past ask for a bit of heavy cream whereas this recipe didn’t, so I couldn’t wait to try it and I’m so glad that I did. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to using cream.
I used the peppercorn mix except for Jamaican. I ended up using my mortar on the cutting board to crush the peppercorns as I found it a bit difficult using the heavy skillet.
I seared the steak for 3 minutes on one side and then flipped it and seared it another 3 minutes on high heat in a cast-iron pan. However, the steak still wasn’t medium rare (it was pretty rare in the middle) so I had to finish it off in the oven for 3 minutes at 425°F and it turned out perfectly. I did use cognac; however, I didn’t flame it.
This recipe has replaced my go-to steak au poivre as I really enjoyed the sauce. It tasted rich and creamy (the butter helped) and really complemented the peppered steak. The mix of peppercorns really made a difference as prior I had just used black peppercorns.
This is my favorite way to eat a steak, but I’d never made it at home. This recipe is one I would make again any time. The steak took almost no time at all to cook. I had everything prepared and ready to go so it was a smooth process from beginning to end. The sauce was full of flavor and the perfect complement to the peppered steak.
Next time I will not sprinkle it with parsley, as I felt it was more of a garnish and really wasn’t needed. I served this with baked potatoes and salad and it was perfect. I love it when there’s just two of us for dinner and I can make a cozy meal like this for the two of us.
Julia Child’s steak au poivre was an excellent change to our weekday routine. It came together quickly and we enjoyed it immensely.
I served it with some thick-cut fries and asparagus, which both were improved by being mixed in with the sauce. When what I thought was Cognac on the shelf turned out to be something else, I substituted some red wine, per the instructions, and was very happy with the results, though the Cognac would also be lovely.
Overall, this is a steak recipe that tastes fancier than the effort involved in its cooking, which is a weekday win!
This was delicious! Very rich and complex flavors. I served it with Julia Child Asparagus In lemon, onions and garlic, and with dill cream potatoes- what a treat! Thank you for a new way of making steak.
Julia, that looks amazing! We are so glad you enjoyed this and had such a fabulous dinner.
Love this recipe. Originally I tried a variation using cream. In doing so I fried the steaks, then I added the beef stock and reduced it down a bit first, BEFORE adding the cognac and cream. Does adding cognac and igniting/burning the alcohol off before adding/reducing the stock make a significant difference when making a reduction sauce?
Hi Matt, igniting (or reducing) the alcohol deepens the complexity of the flavors. In this particular recipe, a deep stock is used and the resultant sauce is only cooked for a minute or so, not long enough to develop the richness of the cognac.