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.