Published September 1, 2001.
Steak au poivre can be nothing more than uninspired skillet steak. We were after the real thing—a silky sauce married to a well-seared crust of pungent, cracked peppercorns.
Home cooks attempting steak au poivre are often left with a scorched skillet, tasteless steak with underbrowned meat, peppercorns that fall off the steak, and a lifeless pan sauce.
We wanted the steak au poivre we love to order in bistros-a simple steak, seared and encrusted with peppercorns, adorned with a silky, fragrant sauce-without ruining a pan or having to make veal stock to get a decent pan sauce.
Pepper only one side of the steak to prevent scorched peppercorns and create a nice sear, and make a reduction of canned chicken and beef broths to create a quick, flavorful pan sauce.
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