Steak au Poivre Recipe

This Steak au Poivre recipe pairs peppercorn-crusted beef tenderloin with a rich Cognac cream sauce and silky Pommes Purée for a timeless French bistro main course. Featured on Dinner in Paris with host Romain Avril, this sublime dish combines tender filet mignon, black, white, pink, and green peppercorns, aromatic herbs, beef demi-glace, heavy cream, and buttery Yukon Gold potatoes.

The Inspiration

Steak au Poivre is a classic French peppercorn steak built around the contrast between tender beef and bold crushed peppercorns. In this version from Dinner in Paris, host Romain Avril uses beef tenderloin, also known as filet mignon, and presses a mixture of black, white, and pink peppercorns firmly onto the steaks before searing.

Beef demi-glace and heavy cream create the sauce’s luxurious body. Roughly chopped green peppercorns add another layer of peppery flavour and texture, producing a classic Cognac cream sauce for steak that coats the back of a spoon when properly reduced.

Pommes Purée provides a smooth, buttery contrast. Yukon Gold potatoes are cooked until tender, dried briefly over low heat, passed through a ricer, and enriched gradually with warm butter and cream. The finished purée is soft enough to absorb the peppercorn sauce while remaining rich and satisfying on its own.

Ingredients

For Steak au Poivre

• 4 beef tenderloin steaks (2000–230 g / 7-8 oz each) AKA filet mignon
• 1/2 cup coarsely crushed peppercorns (mix of black, white and pink)
• 2 tbsp green peppercorns, roughly chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 60g (1/4 cup) butter
• 60 ml (¼ cup) cognac
• 120 ml (½ cup) beef demi-glace
• 120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed

For Pommes Purée

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Method

Make Steak au Poivre

• Pat steaks completely dry. Season with salt. Press crushed peppercorns (black, white and pink) firmly onto both sides.
• Heat oil in cast iron pan over medium-high heat until very hot.
• Place steaks in pan and do not move. Cook 3–4 minutes until a nice crust has formed.
• Flip and cook another 3–4 minutes. During this part, add butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the pan and baste the steak continuously.
• These steaks are best served medium rare with an internal temp of 133F.
• Remove steaks from pan, pour the hot butter and aromatics over the top and rest 4-5 minutes.
• Return pan to medium heat. Add cognac, left over crushed peppercorns and green peppercorns and heat through 1–2 minutes.
• Add demi-glace and cream. Simmer 3–5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt.
• It is ready when sauce coats the back of a spoon. Spoon sauce over rested steaks.

Make Pommes Purée

• Peel and cut potatoes into large chunks. Cover with cold salted water.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 20–25 minutes.
• Drain and return to pot. Heat low 1–2 minutes to remove moisture.
• Pass hot potatoes through ricer and return to pot.
• In a separate pot, warm cream and butter over low heat.
• Add butter-cream mixture to hot riced potatoes slowly and mix thoroughly.
• Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper.
• Serve alongside Steak au Poivre. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This Steak au Poivre with Pommes Purée is ideal for a French-inspired dinner, date night, special occasion, or elegant weekend meal. Spoon a generous portion of silky potato purée onto each plate and arrange the rested filet mignon beside it, keeping the peppercorn crust visible before adding the Cognac cream sauce.

The Pommes Purée is especially important because its mild, buttery flavour balances the assertive peppercorn sauce. As the sauce reaches the potatoes, the purée absorbs the demi-glace, cream, Cognac, and peppercorn flavours, bringing the entire plate together.

A simple green vegetable or lightly dressed salad can provide freshness alongside the rich beef, cream, butter, and potatoes without competing with the classic French flavours.

Final Thoughts

This Steak au Poivre recipe captures the bold, luxurious character of French bistro cooking through a combination of tender filet mignon, crushed peppercorns, Cognac, demi-glace, cream, butter, and herbs.

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