Steak au Poivre

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Are you a fan of NCIS? I am a crazed fan that has seen every episode at least 50 times, some even more than that. Oddly enough, it never seems to get old. During an especially perplexing case in Season 3, Gibbs shows up in Director Shepard's office with Steak au Poivre and asparagus. They worked on the case together while eating dinner.....

I have been wanting to make Steak au Poivre ever since!! Honestly, I had no clue what it was so it stayed on the To Do List for far too long. Steak is awesome by itself, but when you top it off with a creamy shallot-cognac sauce...c’est magnifique!

Ingredients needed to make this recipe

• filet mignon - can substitute ribeye or NY strip
• black pepper
• olive oil
• butter
• shallots
• thyme leaves
• cognac
• heavy cream
• Dijon mustard

I will admit right now, I have not stayed true to the original. This is my simplified version, or at least easy to understand version that anyone can prepare. I also added thyme and Dijon mustard, which are not in the classic recipe.

I was also unable to purchase 2 individual Filet Mignons, they only sell the whole tenderloin {for $46.00}. 🙁 I used NY strip steaks instead.

How to make Steak au Poivre:

Sprinkle steaks with pepper, set aside.....

The correct way would be to "dredge" the steaks in crushed peppercorns, but I have no idea where my mortar and pestle are and I don't like that much pepper!!

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and sear/brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each side.....

Remove steaks from skillet and set aside.

Add the shallots to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.....

Carefully add the cognac/brandy and simmer until reduced by half. Cognac is traditionally used but I cannot find it anywhere in this town, so I used Brandy instead.....

Make sure to scrape up all the bits off the bottom of the skillet! Stir in the heavy cream and Dijon mustard.....

Return the steaks to the skillet and cook to desired doneness {125 degrees for Rare or 130 for Medium-Rare}.....

Serve with Pomme Frites {French Fries} and Haricot Verts {French Green Beans}...or asparagus like Gibbs and Jen's meal. 😉

Notes:

• I created this recipe with Valentine's Day or date night in mind, but it can easily be doubled or tripled.
• Before you ask...yes, I did use the heavy cream in mine. I decided to go for it, and thankfully I did not regret it.
• If you do not want to use alcohol, substitute beef stock for the cognac.

more delicious date night recipes:

• Chicken au Champagne
• Creme Brulee 
• Perfect Filet Mignon for Two
• Shrimp Scampi topped Filet Mignon
• Zucchini Carbonara
• Apple Crisp for Two

Enjoy!!

Steak au Poivre

Steak au Poivre {aka pepper steak} seared to perfected and topped off with a shallot, mustard, and cognac sauce for the perfect date night meal!

4.25 from 4 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: steak, filet, shallots, cognac, sauce, cream, recipe, date night

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 2 Servings

Calories: 984kcal

Author: Lisa Johnson

Ingredients

• 10 ounce beef filet or NY strip - 2) 5 ounce steak
• 2 tablespoons black pepper cracked or crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/3 cup cognac or brandy
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

• Sprinkle steaks with pepper, set aside.
• Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the steaks and sear/brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each side.
• Remove steaks from skillet and set aside.
• Add the shallots and thyme leaves to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Carefully add the cognac/brandy and simmer until reduced by half.
• Stir in the heavy cream and Dijon mustard. Return the steaks to the skillet and cook to desired doneness.
• Serve with Pomme Frites and French Green Beans.

Notes

• Rare: 125 degrees
• Medium-Rare: 130 degrees

Nutrition

Calories: 984kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 84g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Cholesterol: 225mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 576mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 1600IU | Vitamin C: 5.6mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 4.6mg