Skip to main content

Let's Get Cooking Together! Steak au Poivre

We celebrated my dad's birthday, yesterday, with a French Bistro inspired dinner.  Without a doubt, the star of the show was this Steak au Poivre.  Traditionally, Steak au Poivre is made with filet mignon, coated in coarsely cracked black pepper, seared on the stovetop in a smoking hot pan then finished in the oven and served with a cognac infused cream sauce.  Our preparation puts a little spin on the dish in that we sear it on the stovetop, but finish it on the grill.  The smokiness of the grill pairs nicely with the black pepper and enables you to prepare enough steaks at one time for a small dinner party.  We also put our own riff on the sauce by using dry vermouth instead of cognac.

This is a perfect dish to make together because one cook can finish grilling the steaks while the other cook prepares the sauce.  Grab a partner (because the whole point is to have fun cooking with someone you love), pour a few glasses of your favorite beverage and turn on some great music. Let's get cooking!
   

 Steak au Poivre

8 filet mignon steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup beef stock 
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 or 6 fresh thyme sprigs, whole
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons capers, drained

Light charcoal grill or preheat gas grill to medium high. 

Rinse steaks and pat dry. Combine salt and cracked black pepper on a small plate or in a shallow dish.   Press each side of steaks into salt/pepper mixture, making sure they are well coated.

Place a heavy skillet over medium high heat and drizzle with oil.  Pan is ready when oil just begins to smoke.  Sear each steak on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, until well browned and crusted.  Remove to a large platter or baking sheet until all steaks have been seared.

Reduce heat to medium and add shallots to drippings in pan.  Saute until tender, then deglaze pan with dry vermouth.  Allow to cook for one minute, then add beef stock, heavy cream and whole thyme sprigs.  Simmer until thickened, then add Dijon mustard and capers.  Keep warm until ready to serve (remove thyme sprigs before serving).

Grill steaks as desired, about three to five minutes per side for medium rare.  Let rest for several minutes after removing from heat.  Serve with pan sauce.

Looking for a wine pairing?  We served a French Bordeaux but Cabernet Sauvignon is another great choice.

Enjoy!

Willoughby

Comments

Purple Flowers said…
This reads smokin' delicious!
Happy Memorial Day to you.
Betty Manousos said…
that recipe looks like to die for.


very tempting dish!


hope you had a nice Memorial Day.

betty xx
Jenny said…
My husband would love this!

Popular posts from this blog

Bugging Out

Spring is such a wonderful time of year.  The birds have returned and greet each morning with their lovely songs.  The tree branches are covered with green buds ready to burst into life.  The grass has shed it's yellow/brown pallor in favor of a lovely emerald.  The air is warm and breezy.  It's all so lovely except for one thing.  The bugs. Because of our nearly uninhabitable climate during the winter months, we don't see many bugs from late October through early April.  I almost forget how much I hate them until they come back.  And they know I hate them so they taunt me.  Ever since the thermometer hit the 60 degree mark, we've had flies congregating around the back porch.  I can't sit out there and enjoy my morning coffee without having them buzz past me. Now, flies I hate, but spiders I absolutely loathe.  Friday morning I walked into the bathroom to dry my hair and spotted what I thought was a bumble ...

It's Wednesday, Welcome Back To The Cocktail Party!

Welcome to Willoughby's Blog Style Cocktail Party. I hope you will find some new blogs to follow and expand your circle of blog friends. I know you're all anxious to mingle, so I'll get right to it. I'd like to introduce Deidra from Jumping Tandem .  I know you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do. Keeping It Real.... Deidra I'm an East Coast girl living in the midwest because I love my husband (I call him "H" around here) and his work brought us here. We have been blessed with two amazing children (currently in college) and an empty nest that I absolutely love! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids but they're destined to change the world and they can't do that living under my roof (although they're welcome back anytime for love, prayers, support, encouragement, and of course homecooked meals and clean laundry). Did I mention that H is a pastor? So that makes me the pastor's wife - but don't let that blur your vision. H is...

It's Time For A Giveaway!

I am excited to announce that Novica has, once again given me a $50 gift card to award to one lucky winner.  If you're not familiar with Novica , they work in association with National Geographic to bring the work of talented artists and artisans around the globe to the rest of the world via the internet. Shopping their website is a unique experience as you can view information about each artist along with the works they create.  It gives each item a very personal feeling.  In the Keepers Of The Arts section, you can watch videos of the artists at work. I love Novica so much that I could go on and on telling you how wonderful their website is, what great customer service they have and, especially, how talented the artisans are, but it would be much more fun for you to see for yourself.  Before you head over there, though, let me give you a sneak peak of some of the wonderful things you'll discover (and maybe help you find some unique Christmas gifts). Wool...