Steak au Poivre Royale

A luxurious French classic elevated with premium ingredients - tender beef medallions crusted with crushed peppercorns, finished with a rich cognac cr...

2
French Cuisine
🟡Intermediate★★★☆☆
May 30, 2025
34 views

Ingredients

🥩

2 pieces

beef tenderloin medallions

center cut, 6-8 oz each, room temperature

🥩

2 tablespoons

beef demi-glace

🥬

2 tablespoons

black peppercorns

freshly cracked, not ground

🥛

3/4 cup

heavy cream

🥛

2 tablespoons

unsalted butter

📦

2 medium

shallots

finely minced

📦

1/3 cup

cognac

📦

1 small

black truffle

fresh, for shaving

🍎

2 tablespoons

grapeseed oil

🌶️

1 teaspoon

kosher salt

📦

1 tablespoon

chives

finely minced

Categories:🥩protein🥬vegetable🍎fruit🌾grain🥛dairy🌶️spice🫒oil💧liquid📦other

Instructions

Step 1
Pat beef tenderloin medallions completely dry with paper towels. Season generously with kosher salt on all sides. Press cracked black peppercorns firmly into both flat sides of the medallions to create a crust.
Step 2
Heat grapeseed oil in a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan over medium-high heat until it's nearly smoking. The high smoke point of grapeseed oil prevents burning while achieving the perfect sear.
Step 3
Place beef tenderloin medallions in the pan and sear for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, developing a dark golden crust. Add unsalted butter halfway through cooking to enhance browning. Remove steaks to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil.
Step 4
Reduce heat to medium and add shallots to the same pan. Cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes, scraping up the flavorful fond from the bottom of the pan.
Step 5
Remove pan from heat, add cognac, and carefully ignite with a long match to flambé. Once flames subside, return to heat and reduce cognac by half.
Step 6
Add heavy cream and beef demi-glace, whisking to combine. Simmer until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt if needed.
Step 7
Return beef tenderloin medallions to the pan just to coat with sauce and warm through. Transfer to warmed plates and spoon additional sauce over top.
Step 8
Finish with fresh black truffle shavings and garnish with chives. Serve immediately while the sauce is hot and the truffles are releasing their aroma.

✨Chef's Tips

  • ★Allow the beef tenderloin medallions to rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before cooking. This ensures even cooking and a better sear.
  • ★Crack your black peppercorns just before cooking using a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy pan. The fresh crack releases more aromatic oils than pre-cracked pepper.
  • ★When flambéing with cognac, tip the pan slightly away from you to pool the liquid, then ignite. The flames should naturally extinguish in 30-45 seconds. Never pour alcohol directly from the bottle into a hot pan.
  • ★For the perfect sauce consistency, reduce until it coats the back of a spoon and when you draw your finger through it, the line holds for a few seconds - this is called 'nappe' in professional kitchens.
steakFrench cuisinebeefdinnerspecial occasionrestaurant stylegourmet