Tenderloin Series 2 Steak Au Poivre

What is Steak au Poivre?

Like all classic dishes of any notoriety, Steak Au Poivre has a muddied past full of cultural spats and romantic legends. There are those who say this dish was created by an angry French chef who wanted something spicy and powerful to cut through the American taste buds, especially dulled after a night of heavy drinking. Others say it was a way for this chef to cover the inferior quality of his steaks with the powerful bite of toasted black peppercorns. Our favorite is the most romantic; it was created in the bistros of Normandy and celebrated for the mythical aphrodisiac properties of black pepper. While the provenance may be lost, we can all agree that this combination of steak, pepper, butter, cream, and cognac may be one of the best companions for steak to grace the plate.

PREPARING YOUR STEAK

Steak Au Poivre can also be prepared with other fast cooking tender cuts like strips, center cut filets, or ribeye’s. For this recipe we will be using the last section of our tenderloin, the tail cut. This cut can be problematic for many applications. It is oddly shaped, a sloping triangle that ends with a thin section of meat, but with the proper preparation you can create a beautiful uniform shaped roast that will cook evenly and create an elegant presentation.

Start by folding the tail end of the tenderloin under the rest of meat till you have a uniform shape. Lay out five to six sections of butcher’s twine on your board and place the meat on top and in the middle of the twine. Following the same steps from our Beef Wellington recipe, start tying from the outside twine and work your way in to the center to create a tight and uniform section of meat. Liberally salt the roast on all sides with kosher salt. The preparation here is important to ensure an even cooking process over the entire cut of beef.

PREPARING STEAK AU POIVRE

Pour the black peppercorns into a small zip top bag and remove as much air as possible. Place the bag on a tea towel then cover with the rest of the towel. Using a small, heavy bottomed, skillet crack the peppercorns till they are coarsely crushed. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle for this but avoid using a spice grinder as this can turn the black pepper into more of a powder. Lay out the crushed peppercorns on a plate and press one side of the steak into the peppercorns. Our advice is to only coat one side of the meat, since you will be slicing this roast, but if you want a more intense pepper flavor you can coat the opposite side as well. Allow the steak rest for 15 minutes.

Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat, add 2T butter and oil and heat till the butter is just starting to brown. Add the steak pepper side down and sear for one minute, gently lift the steak and swirl the fat in the pan and place back in the skillet on an unseared side. Cook for an additional one minute then repeat with remaining sides. When you have the last sides to sear start basting the steaks with the butter in the pan, this will help ensure a great crust and a wonderful flavor.

When the steak has been seared on all sides remove from the skillet and place on a foil lined tray. Insert your ChefsTemp Quad XPro thermometer probe and set the temperature to 118°F (48°C) for medium rare then set the tray in a 325°F (163°C) preheated oven. While the steak is cooking it’s time to make the sauce.

(Note here, if using a strip or ribeye you can cook these completely in the pan. Use the same technique used to cook the steak.  Sear for 1 minute then flip, cook for an additional minute then flip, and repeat until you have cooked the steak for 4 minutes per side. Check your temperature with the FinalTouch X10 instant read thermometer.)

MAKING THE SAUCE

Add the remaining butter, shallots and garlic and sauté till they are nice soft and golden but not browned. Add the additional peppercorns then remove the pan from the heat, add the brandy, (You can use cognac for this recipe as well). You may flambe this sauce for an added bit of show by turning the heat up high and gently tipping the pan until the alcohol vapors catch and light on fire. Swirl the pan gently, using a long-handled metal or wooden spatula to scrape up any of the steak bits in the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the heavy cream, continuing to scrape the pan till the bottom is cleaned. Bring the cream to a light simmer and add the Dijon mustard and stir to combine. Reduce the sauce till your spatula leaves a clean line when drawn across the sauce. Turn off the heat and whisk in the sour cream. You can choose to strain this sauce at this time, it will create a smoother texture without the added peppercorns or fond from the pan.

FINISHING AND SERVING

Once the roast hits the target temperature of 118°F (48°C) remove from the oven and let rest for 5-8 minutes. When the meat is completely rested remove the roast to a cutting board and pour the accumulated juices into the sauce, stir to combine. Using a pair of sharp scissors carefully cut away the twine, making sure to not remove your pepper crust. Slice across the grain in 1-inch-thick slices then serve with a healthy spoonful of your Au Poivre sauce. While there is a plethora of great accompaniments to this recipe, our favorite is classic steak frites and grilled asparagus.

INGREDIENTS

• 1, 1.25-.5 # tail section of tenderloin, or 2 6oz filets, or 2 strip steaks, or 2 ribeye steaks.
• Kosher salt
• 1/3^rdC Whole Black Peppercorns cracked
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced but not finely
• 4 T butter, divided evenly
• 2T vegetable oil
• ¼ C Brandy
• 1 C Heavy Cream
• 5 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 2T Sour Cream

Prepare the steak roast Fold the tail end of the tenderloin under the rest of meat till you have a uniform shape.

• Lay out several sections of butcher’s twine on your board and place the meat on top and in the middle of the twine.
• Start tying from the outside twine and work your way in to the center to create a tight and uniform section of meat
• If using a filet or other steak skip this step.
• Liberally season the meat with Kosher Salt

Create the Au Poivre

• Pour the black peppercorns into a small zip top bag and remove as much air as possible.
• Place the bag on a tea towel then cover with the rest of the towel.
• Using a small, heavy bottomed, skillet crack the peppercorns until coarsely crushed.
• You can also use a Mortar and Pestle for this procedure.
• Lay out the crushed peppercorns on a plate and press one side of the steak into the peppercorns.
• Let the steak rest for 15 minutes.

Cooking the steak

• Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat, add 2T butter and oil and heat till the butter is just starting to brown.
• Add the steak pepper side down and sear for one minute, gently lift the steak and swirl the fat in the pan and place back in the skillet on an unseared side.
• Cook for an additional one minute then repeat with remaining sides.
• When you have the last side to sear start basting the steak with the butter in the pan, this will help ensure a great crust and a wonderful flavor.
• When the steak has been seared on all sides remove from the skillet and place on a foil lined tray.
• Insert the ChefsTemp Quad XPro thermometer probe and set the temperature to 118°F (48°C) for medium rare then set the tray in a 325°F (163°C) preheated oven.
• If using a strip or ribeye you can cook these completely in the pan.
• Use the same technique used to cook the steak.  Sear for 1 minute then flip, cook for an additional minute then flip, and repeat until you have cooked the steak for 4 minutes per side.
• Check your temperature with the FinalTouch X10instant read thermometer.

Making the Au Poivre Sauce

• Add the remaining butter, shallots and garlic and sauté till they are soft and golden but not browned.
• Add an additional 1.5 T peppercorns then remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy, you can use cognac for this recipe as well.
• You may flambe this sauce for an added bit of show by turning the heat up high and gently tipping the pan until the alcohol vapors catch and light on fire.
• Swirl the pan gently, using a long-handled metal spatula to scrape up any of the steak bits in the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the heavy cream, continuing to scrape the pan till the bottom is cleaned.
• Bring the cream to a light simmer and add the Dijon mustard and stir to combine.
• Reduce till your spatula leaves a clean line when drawn across the sauce.
• Turn off the heat and whisk in the sour cream.