Pan Seared Backstrap au Poivre

If you order a steak in a French restaurant, it’s likely going to come served with a crust of coarsely cracked black pepper and a rich, creamy pan sauce. Steak au Poivre literally translates in English to “steak with pepper,” and that pretty well describes this classic dish.

This classic French recipe features a creamy pan sauce that balances the pepper nicely. Images by author

While it is traditionally made with beef filet mignon, I much prefer the added flavor of thick-cut backstrap medallions from just about any game animal. I used whitetail for this one, but whatever you have in the freezer will work.

Start by bringing the backstrap medallions (I like about 1.25-1.5 inches thick for this one) to room temperature. Salt them well as soon as your remove them from the fridge and allow them to dry brine as they rest on the counter.

The pepper part of the recipe starts with the crust. You will need crushed black peppercorns for this one. I like to crush them in a mortar and pestle, but you can use a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan if you like. Leave them chunky. You can use a grinder, but even on the coarsest setting, it will probably make the pepper too fine.

Crack the peppercorns, but leave them in large chunks for added texture and flavor.

Pat the backstrap dry and sprinkle heavily with the cracked pepper on both sides. Place a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat.

Coat the salted backstrap with a heavy dose of peppercorns on each side.

You can use olive or vegetable oil for this, but you get better flavor with beef tallow. Add your cooking oil of choice to the pan. Once it starts to smoke lightly, sear the backstrap for 3-4 minutes per side or until the steaks reach your desired doneness level.

Sear the backstrap to your preferred finish.

Move the backstrap to a warm plate and loosely tent with foil to rest while you make the pan sauce.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced shallot and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until they soften.

Dice the shallot into a fine chop so that it cooks quickly.

Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning, for another minute or so. Add the beef broth and brandy or whiskey. Take care not to stand over the pan. The fumes from the alcohol are highly flammable. In fact, if you have guests watching you cook and want to impress them with a show, you can CAREFULLY ignite the vapors for a quick flame up. You don’t have to flambé the dish, though, you can just let the vapors evaporate as the pan simmers.

Add the beef broth and whiskey or brandy to deglaze the pan.

Bring the liquid to a boil and scrape up any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pan. This adds tons of flavor to the sauce. Add the heavy cream and continue scraping until the liquid in the pan comes to a boil and the sauce starts to thicken.

Add the heavy cream.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mustard and the butter, one pat at a time. Stir until each piece of butter melts before adding the next pat.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and dijon.

To plate, add some sauce to the bottom of your dish, then place a backstrap medallion over it. Spoon more sauce over the top and serve immediately while everything is still hot. I like to serve with bread or rolls to sop up every bit of the delicious pan sauce.

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