Cast Iron Steak with Sauce au Poivre

Sauce au Poivre is the perfect condiment for topping beef tenderloin, leftover steak, or a classic steak! This flavorful pan sauce only requires a handful of ingredients and can turn any ordinary cut of meat into a delectable main course and today it’s being paired with a juicy cast iron steak.

Just like this béarnaise sauce or brandy peppercorn sauce, Sauce au Poivre is the perfect, creamy sauce for elevating a basic cooked steak! This luxurious creamy bourbon sauce usually goes on top of Steak au Poivre, a classic French dish made famous by several chefs, including Julia Child and Gordon Ramsay! With a few simple steps, you can create a creamy peppercorn sauce that will take your basic sauce recipes to new heights! 

What Is Sauce au Poivre?

This Sauce au Poivre recipe combines beef stock, umami powder, coffee rub, whole black peppercorns, butter, bourbon, heavy cream, shallots, and fresh herbs to create a flavorful cream sauce perfect for topping all kinds of cooked meat! Now you can enjoy a taste of the French classics right at home. 

Ingredients

for the Sauce au Poivre

• Salt – always. 
• Ooomami Powder, Coffee Rub, and Coarsely Ground Peppercorns – This savory coating goes on the beef, making you wish you bought more steaks. What’s ooomami powder? It’s a fine mushroom powder for adding richness. Read more about what is umami and how to use it in your cooking. 
• Butter – Cook with unsalted butter.
• Shallots – or garlic.
• Beef broth – homemade roasted beef bone broth or stock.
• Whiskey or bourbon – always use one good enough that you would drink it. 
• Heavy Cream
• Fresh herbs – chives, thyme, and parsley are our go-to’s for this recipe.

For the cast iron steaks

• Strip steaks – we used strip steaks but hanger steak is traditional for this recipe
• Kosher salt
• Ooomami mushroom powder
• coffee rub
• peppercorns
• Butter or oil for the pan

If you are preparing this over a campfire, you will need a solid cast iron pan large enough to hold your steaks without crowding the pan.

Make the cast iron steaks

PREP THE FIRE

1. Prep your campfire by building a 2 zone fire, with a cool side and a hot side. Do this by arranging your coals to one sde of the fire ring or grill.
2. When the coals are ashed over and maintaining and even heat, place your cast iron skillet on the grill grate to pre-heat until it just behind to smoke.

PREP THE STEAKS

1. Meanwhile, rub the steaks with a liberal sprinkle of salt, Ooomami powder, and coffee rub.
2. Then, using your hands, press a layer of freshly cracked pepper over the surface of the steaks.

COOK THE STEAKS

1. Add a tablespoon of butter to the cast iron pan and swirl to coat.
2. Place the steaks in the skillet, you should hear a good sizzle.
3. Allow the steaks to sit, without disturbing them for 3 to 5 minutes to form a good crust.
4. Flip, only when the steak releases easily without any tugging, and cook to desired doneness. 125° for rare.
5. Remove the steaks from the pan, tent with foil, and rest.

How to Make Sauce au Poivre

1. Move the cast iron pan to the cooler side of the grill.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the shallots.
3. Sauté for 3 minutes on medium heat, until soft.
4. Add a splash of the beef broth and deglaze the bottom of the cast iron skillet, scraping up any browned bits.
5. Add the remaining broth and maneuver the pan over the heat so the liquid simmers.
6. Add the bourbon and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Add the heavy cream and allow the liquid to simmer, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
8. Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining butter until smooth.

Watch: How to make Cast iron steaks with Sauce au Poivre

Leftovers & Reheating

Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. We recommend not putting this sauce in the microwave to reheat since it can heat up too quickly. Instead, we suggest putting a small pot or saucepan on the stove and heating up the sauce so you can easily spoon it onto whatever you want! 

What to Serve With Sauce au Poivre

Serve your Sauce au Poivre alongside a medium rare steak and some beef tallow French fries, and you’ve got super flavorful steak frites! Or throw a few spoonfuls on top of a thick filet mignon for the best steak dish you’ve ever had!

Recipe FAQs

More SAuce Recipes

Sauces, Mops, & Condiments

Creamy Peppercorn Sauce for Steak

Sauces, Mops, & Condiments

Red Wine Sauce (Red Wine Reduction for Steak)

Sauces, Mops, & Condiments

Blue Cheese Sauce

Sauces, Mops, & Condiments

Classic Béarnaise Sauce

No need to wait for special occasions to whip out this creamy pan sauce! This Sauce au Poivre will become your new favorite way to top your most-loved dishes, from topping a New York Strip to a peppercorn-crusted steak. Made with the best ingredients to infuse a depth of flavor into every bite, this creamy sauce will elevate any meal to new heights! Grab your glass of red wine, turn on some French dinner music, and fire up that skillet! Your taste buds will love you forever. Also, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment below to help out the next reader!