Steak Au Poivre Recipe - Peppered Steak with Cognac Cream Sauce

Impress your friends and family with this simple to prepare classic steak au poivre recipe with a delicious cognac peppercorn cream sauce.
Steak au poivre, pronounce “oh-pwav,” simply means with pepper in French. This traditional recipe did not feature a sauce as we know it today, in fact, all it was, was a steak rolled in cracked peppercorns and pan-roasted. The sauce wasn’t made popular until the early 20th century and that did not have peppercorns in it, it was a simple brandy cream sauce.
Ingredients for this recipe:
For the Steak:
• 2 12-ounce New York Strip Steaks
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
For the Sauce:
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 peeled and finely minced shallot
• 2 finely minced cloves of garlic
• 1 ½ tablespoons crushed peppercorns
• ¼ cup cognac
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• sea salt to taste
Serves 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
1. Season the steaks well with salt and pepper. If wanting to encrust the steak with peppercorns, see chef notes.
2. Add the oil to a large frying pan over high heat and heat up until it begins to lightly smoke.
3. Place in the steaks, turn the heat down to medium-high, and add in the butter, garlic, and thyme and cook for 2-3 minutes per side for a medium-rare internal temperature.
4. Remove the steaks and let rest on a plate. Drain the oil from the pan.
5. Sauce: Add the butter to the pan over low to medium heat and lightly sauté the shallots, garlic, and peppercorns for a few minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Deglaze with the cognac and cook until it is almost gone.
7. Pour in the cream and cook over low to medium heat until it becomes very thick, or nappe.
8. Season with salt and parsley and serve the sauce with the steaks.
Chef Notes:
Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be served as soon as it is finished cooking.
How to Reheat: This recipe does not reheat well, but if you do need to reheat it, then re-sear it in a hot pan with lightly smoked oil until warmed.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. This recipe will not freeze well.
If you want to make this recipe where the steak is coated in peppercorns, simply encrust the steak after seasoning it with salt in the peppercorns that were broken down with the pan, and then obviously the cream sauce will not have any peppercorns. This part is up to you.
Cognac is the better option to use over brandy, but brandy can be used.

[@toddhart7091]

One of the very best communicators in DIY cooking. Simplistic, informative and professional! Much appreciated 👍🏻

[@dimitragianes9021]

YESSSSSSS!!

[@winkpinky1445]

💯!

[@sxt71]

Just made this for today’s dinner, my husband and mother in law loved it. Thank you to chef Billy Parisi!

[@p288212]

This guy is awesome!!! How come I only discovered him today??? This is great stuff!

[@jbebb7249]

Really glad I happened on your channel. I started out with your recipe for Chicken Milanese and now I’m binge watching and saving everything. Making this for Sunday dinner.

[@reeddimmitt5255]

Dude, one of my favorite spots back in the day. Worth the drive to St. Albans.

[@louannafahey8586]

Excellent educator skills! These videos are perfect. Not too much talking , no music ( thank god) and you recap the process and tips so well. I'm hooked!

[@rawlsrules]

Second "no music".

[@claraseemanda2509]

It looks soo beautiful 😍 Thank you for all the little explanations ❤️

[@scottywheeling8756]

Excellent! Thank You chef ! Can’t wait to try this one !

[@heatheraho224]

Delicious looking recipe and so many helpful tips and techniques. Will make it for Valentines day dinner!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Thanks so much 😊

[@inos3697]

Yep....thinking this will be Sunday’s menu. Thank you again for a great video

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Hope you enjoy

[@lawrence1960]

I’m not waiting for Sunday. Steak Au Poivre on a Wednesday

[@KhalilOmar]

You forgot to mention to remove your steak from the fridge 1 hour before cooking so that it can come up to temp. Also, you added the butter to early friend, it turned beurre noir and the garlic couldn't take it at that point which ended up scorching. I would suggest once you flip your steak and sear the second side, add a bunch of very cold butter, thyme and garlic and begin to baste as it foams, it will sear as well. I think your heat was too high all the way through the cook. Other than that, great video and beautiful sauce.

[@raeds8218]

This is correct advice

[@01sevensix]

Agree - that butter looked black and bitter. I’d leave that basting and herbs until the end.

[@ab_c4429]

That doesn't do much at all to the internal temperature. The difference in temp you need to get is so much greater than you will achieve with that 1 hr. No need for it.

[@yolandavaldez5256]

Mr.p I love this recipe thank you so much and God Bless 🙏 the Chef !

[@Sergeipalto]

Thanks for the video. Very informative!

[@KalebPott]

Quite possibly the best video I've ever watched. I felt like I was being taught by someone who genuinely cares. Much love!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Thanks for watching!

[@veronicamartinezmedema8273]

Just love learning from you Billy..thank

[@timothyroman1129]

I never write comments on KZbin but your recipes are wonderful! Thanks for sharing!!

[@kifacorea]

Nice tip with the bowl. Thanks.

[@creambot]

this is fantastic

[@nathanb5579]

Nice work! Thanks for the lesson

[@frankwillet1609]

Thanks Chef, I’m always looking for the best steak. Thanks again…🇬🇧

[@chriscapozzi7521]

Incredible video

[@briangbonnell]

Chef Billy Parisi I love all your videos!! Thank you!!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

thank you!

[@bobbyjavier5969]

Big fan of yours. Been learning how to cook from someone I would call A GREAT🙏🏻💎🙌🏻🔥 Keep up the recipes! You are a legend!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Thanks man

[@VinhNguyen-cs2ny]

Tkhs For Sharing

[@williecountryman4332]

Very well done 👏 perfectly made and very professionally

[@pmeloun]

New favorite cooking channel 😋

[@amos7957]

Thanks, Chef simple and clear.

[@ebiturkmen311]

Very very lovely😋😎✌

[@bellindagillis2549]

Love all the ingredientS...can't wait to make.... bur NOT rare..... thanks for great recipe.

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Hope you enjoy

[@jucijae]

I am learning so much from you

[@KevinfinityDrums]

Very informative, thanks

[@asipreshel125]

Great instructions tks

[@joykiser6673]

Loved this..thank you.😍

[@ChefBillyParisi]

So glad!

[@juliomendoza9004]

Thanks for yr reply.‼️

[@bohemiansusan2897]

Cooking meat to very well done and fork tender is easy to do. I've doing for decades. Some of us have compromised immune systems and and only eat well done to avoid major illness. Takes a while to figure out how to cook things to have the desired texture and be safe. I got sick from food poisoning in the 90s. I now deal with life long issues.

[@tukaramlamani5615]

Hi chef thank you for teaching me

[@ealston0826]

I know what I am making my parents for dinner tomorrow. I actually have everything in my pantry and fridge!

[@Irishvlogs37]

Omg it's look yummy

[@Tristan-xi7ih]

That steak looks delicious 😋

[@ChefBillyParisi]

So good

[@amirkeyvan6630]

Thank you Chef Parisi🙏

[@maumautg]

man do love his disclaimers

[@drob841]

Even the French would say that's a lot of cream! I do 1:1 ratio of cream to beef stock, maybe a splash of Worchestershire as well. Everything else was pretty much spot on, personally I find some fresh rosemary at the end makes for an elegant touch. Oh and resting juices, don't forget to add resting juices!!!

[@roadrunner1095]

Are you french? I ate that many times and here its made completely different. Only pickeled green pepercorns go to the sauce, mustard, stock...

[@ambiorixdeseburons4939]

Also you don’t really need to worry about salted butter, cultured butter is 1.5-2% salt by weight, uncultured butter 2-2.5% just use what you have and account for that, but even accounting for that isn’t necessary unless you’re strictly monitoring your salt intake, it’s such a small amount and much of it isn’t going into you unless you literally lick the bottom of the pan and your plate clean.😊

[@BoEkingster]

good video... nice job

[@jimistalione16]

very nice, now cook it.

[@sarahebert6994]

Food Network SO missed out on you. Thanks for the enjoyable teaching!!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

you are too kind!

[@emmgeevideo]

"Use a thermometer to temp it"... Best advice in this video. The hand trick is cute but use a thermometer.

[@StayHomeEatGreat]

Love your passion and easy going style of teaching. Fellow KZbinr here!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

I appreciate that. Thank you.

[@shishibaba]

Wonderful video Chef!!!! Thank you so much for such a concise and crystal clear explanation, wonderful shots and tips and making my mouth water!!! May God’s light and peace accompany you always. I’ll be tuning in to many more of your videos. 🙏🏾❤️

[@nssylla]

Damn good 🥰

[@mikethewoodworker6194]

I love your videos THX for the share. ? could you do a video just on plating I fail at that cant wrap my head around how to place things, the food turns out but it looks like a mess on the plate. Explain plates to use and so on.

[@ChefBillyParisi]

I definitely have one on plating already :-)

[@mr.a.i.r2957]

1st like from K.S.A 🇸🇦

[@chrissykes4470]

Temp the steak more, or bring the internal up further to prevent the grey line around it

[@saamiyaa5214]

What to use as a substitute for alcohol?

[@Jake4G]

WOW

[@Sacredfire4Jesus]

That looks fabulous!! My biggest challenge is keeping the steak hot while it rests. How do you serve it so that the meat is still hot?

[@isaiahcoles3274]

You're not supposed to keep the meat warm during prep, since you've cooked it to a specific doneness, so simply heat up the plate you're about to serve it on. If you're trying to reach a certain desired level of doneness, then you don't want your steak to stay warm. That's what is known as "carryover cooking", and it is something that you need to control if you did things right, and something you should try to reduce if you did things wrong (this could mean resting it on a cold surface to cool it faster). The point of resting the meat is to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, and for the fibres to relax and become tender, as they tense up under the high heat of the cooking surface, and need to relax. Most steakhouses heat their plates, since the steaks will cool when resting, and it is also being served with a warm sauce, so the steak doesn't need to be piping hot. So, long story short, heat the plate up right before you place your steak on it. DO NOT SKIP OR ELIMINATE THE RESTING TIME!!!

[@yukal.yoshida531]

Tried this recipe and taste amazing! Your video is so packed with information and result is delicious! Is it possible that we can have some low carb dinner recipe from Chef Billy? There are a lot of low carb recipe out there, but it would be great to learn to make them delicious from a chef! Thank you for such educational videos! :)

[@ChefBillyParisi]

unfortunately, that's not really my area of expertise.

[@mallymakings2853]

My God, I f*cking LOVE Billy boy!

[@dirtanddone65]

Any non alcoholic substitute for the alcoholic cognac ingredient?

[@russellbateman3392]

Malmaison... it's not felt that way, however, by those of us who lived there (though we speak French and understand what mal + maison mean). There's a Paris suburb, Rueil-Malmaison. The eponymous château is very beautiful. Maybe originators of the hotel/restaurant name were from there? Great vid, by the way.

[@cursive187]

OMG THANK YOU! I love my chicken rare! So tired of people telling me to cook it more. "COOK IT HOW YOU LIKE IT", AMEN!!!

[@andreasreynders3943]

Plz say you're joking, that's super dangerous!

[@becc8617]

Does anyone know the song that plays at the end?

[@davidbaron6686]

Loved the video!! Im actually allergic to dairy, any tips on substituting for heavy cream?

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Unfortunately there is no sub

[@chefjayla]

There is a great vegan heavy cream at Walmart I use.

[@timothyharshaw2347]

Try coconut milk or cream

[@lackerbitandersson6241]

Thank you! Any specific reason the butter you add should be unsalted please?

[@TheJacklwilliams]

He said why. So he has control over salt amounts. Salted butter isnt easy to gauge.

[@jenniferjaswal9634]

Did you go to Forest Park Culinary school? I see you mentioned St. Louis. I went there 94, 95, 96.

[@allanjones4800]

Looks raw mate!

[@xing6995]

You burn that butter thyme and garlic

[@robertotoy5586]

Chef I have seen in other recipes that they add either veal stock or demi glace, how would that combine with the recipe you made?

[@martinkennedy2400]

...you just love yourself vanity vanity all is vanity

[@graken14]

Just curious, why don't you use stock? most recipes include beef stock for making the sauce.

[@roadrunner1095]

All ingridients are wrong... that is not the right sauce.

[@vandeleonxto2097]

Man you should call this the ultimate peppercorn steak.

[@STREET36774]

Not sure what culinary school would have taught you to cook a steak like that or if you really went to a cooking school because no chef I know would have told you to throw in the herbs and butter as early as you did, the only flavor you gave to that crusty ass steak was the taste of burnt garlic, creamated rosemary, and butter that was beyond brown butter!

[@MichaelKilby]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@ChefBillyParisi]

thank you so kindly!!

[@kendamartins2930]

Any tips for keeping steak warm while making sauce? By the time i got to it, the steal was almost cold. Great otherwise.

[@dojufitz]

I put aluminium Foil loosely over the steaks while resting - they will keep warm.

[@CM-sj9pb]

the best steak and meat and every heated food is only on grill above charcoals or in the brickstove, because the heat is more tender and also there is smoke with oil vapours from wood.

[@richardberrie5510]

Love the passion, but you forgot the beef stock for the sauce and finishing butter. Not to mention green peppercorns.(in brine)

[@kristinalopz1623]

I place in the pan heated properly , correctly. place down don't touch it. 3- 4 min flip that baby. I too sear the side of fat also dredge pepper corns all over. Love 💘 your videos ; if you are who I think you are ; usually have a joke or two at the end of your videos ????🤔 Appreciate your teaching techniques. Excellent....💯

[@edgardogonzalez916]

Is the stated temperature in Fahrenheit or centigrade?

[@brainphelps1994]

I run a cooking workshop at our rec center once a month and have had people asking me "what's the internal temperature for a well done steak?" I typically tell them 135. I know well done is really a higher temperature than this but I want to discourage people from cooking their steak well done. If you're taking the time to learn to cook and your goal is to start making amazing dishes, you really don't want to be cooking your meat well done, it's just the wrong way to cook and eat your meat. I don't care about personal preferences because to me there's a right way and a wrong way, and well done is the wrong way.

[@KB-gj5de]

I like a rare steak but this is lame. The whole point of cooking is to serve and people have different preferences. No one cares if you think other peoples preferences are wrong. Misleading people about temps of food doesn’t help anyone.

[@brainphelps1994]

@@KB-gj5de But you said it yourself, you like a rare steak! You obviously understand by watching this video that people need to be taught how to cook. Why is it any different, some people need to be taught how to eat. It's unfortunate but it's reality. People have thanked me for teaching them

[@TheJacklwilliams]

I hear you and ive lead people to med rare as well over the years. I apprenticed under a few very talented chefs and spent a great deal of time grilling beef, all cuts. At the end of the day, in my book is can one grill the perfect well done steak? I say yes. Its critical to remove the steak at the right time. Even more than med rare. If done right, its a great experience for that stubborn well done guy. Juicy and completely done when it hits the table. Not a dried piece of leather.

[@ristorantanen5769]

Working the line for decades i can admit that i always picked the least perfect steak before throwing it on the grill if someone ordered well done. Not out of malice, but just because for well done eaters quality of meat doesnt really matter. Obviously

[@colleenpine2187]

I need bigger plates!!

[@lillyvalliere6366]

😋🇱🇷

[@anthonysheridan8057]

That’s very rare with a thick grey band. Reverse sear the puppy and finish in the pan.

[@simonetartocchi6968]

You are good and I love your videos!! But there's something wrong...at least for an italian like me: WHY WEARING RUBBER GLOVES?!... It like prevents the holiness of cooking :D

[@saberdz8191]

it would be good steak if you cook it

[@daveyhouston]

Steak should be medium rare

[@andreirobert9233]

why not add a bit of beef stock in the sauce?

[@rawlsrules]

Are you wearing gloves to protect you from the pepper?

[@SuziesAshes10]

Parts of that steak are blue my friend

[@nikovrsaljko9227]

you moved it to much around pan instead of pouring juices on it, its blue inside but ok outside if u want rare medium rare let it be still

[@Radix260286]

Put the Salt after taking it from the pan. And don’t move it in the pan. U loose to much moisture….🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

[@thekillbox3183]

You scraped the garlic w the sharp edge! How DARE YOU?! Good job though..

[@ActionJudas]

Your butter burned before you even flipped the steak...

[@craigbritz1684]

He's been to Culinary school but he puts a cold steak into a cold pan, the oil wasnt even hot yet. I wonder what chef taught him that? Best part about seariing a steak is hearing and seeing it sizzle as soon as you put it into the pan.. I dont think its neccessary to stick so much cracked pepper into the sides of the steak, it will give too strong and harsh taste, There's enough pepper in the sauce.

[@ChefBillyParisi]

The oil was smoking. Always cold protein, hot oil and pan. Go back and watch it again.

[@roadrunner1095]

I dont know where did you get that recepie, but its completely wrong. You must use quality green pepercorns that come in a brine, they give the sauce very specific flavour. Than you must also add mustard and beef/veal stock.

[@markmoody703]

I don't know if it's me or what but what I did it there was no taste it was bland why

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Lack of salt

[@wernerdaelemans8812]

Its raw

[@ristorantanen5769]

Looks like the meat was too cold as it got seared The line between medium rare and the searing is unnaturally sharp.

[@USMC-jk2bt]

That steak is damn near raw in the middle .

[@hiuwingcheung5097]

Medium-low heat is the key. Otherwise, burnt/carcinogenic oil will be the result. You wife is going to blame you.

[@saviyou]

Actual video starts at 8:57 the rest is just fluff

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Yes forget all about searing the steak

[@saviyou]

@@ChefBillyParisi haha yes! I just needed the cognac cream sauce thx for responding 😉