Sauce au Poivre
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
4 people
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Calories
716 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
French
Sauce au Poivre
Description
Sauce au Poivre highlights the melding of pan-seared steaks with a layered peppercorn sauce. Steaks such as duck breasts, venison, or beef are salted and carefully seared in butter to develop a browned exterior while maintaining juiciness inside. After resting the meat, the pan is prepared with shallots sautéed until lightly browned, then deglazed with brandy or sherry to lift fond flavors. The sauce incorporates cracked black and green peppercorns along with demi-glace or a reduced stock, simmered gently before finishing with heavy cream for smoothness and richness. The result is a sauce with a peppery bite balanced by creamy, savory depth, which enhances the natural flavors of the meat.
The sauce is spooned over the steaks after resting, making it suitable for elegant dinners where the sauce's complexity complements the meat's flavor. The choice of steaks like duck or goose breasts means the cooking method includes managing rendered fat to prevent excess richness, ensuring the sauce shines properly.
Using a good-quality demi-glace or glace de viande quickens the sauce-making process and adds body, but homemade low-sodium stock reduced down can also serve as a substitute without sacrificing too much depth. The recipe suggests attention to pan fat levels, using 2 to 3 tablespoons of fat before proceeding with the sauce to keep the flavors balanced.
Ingredients
- 4 steaks (duck breasts, small goose breasts, venison, elk, bison, beef, etc)
- salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 shallot minced
- 1/3 cup brandy (or sherry)
- 1/2 cup demi glace or 1 cup duck or beef stock, or glace de viande
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns roughly cracked
- 1 to 2 tablespoons green peppercorns
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Take the steaks out and salt them well. If you are cooking goose breasts, let them sit out a solid 30 to 45 minutes. Generally, the thinner the steak the shorter the time it needs to come to temperature. And if you make this with streaks 1/4 inch or thinner, take them right out of the fridge and into the hot pan.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, pat the steaks dry with paper towels and lay them in the pan so they don't touch each other. Sear them, turning only once, until they are done to your liking, using the finger test for doneness. If you are using duck or goose breasts, follow my instructions for cooking a duck breast here. Put the steaks on a cutting board to rest while you make the sauce.
- Make sure you have only about 2 to 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan; if you've cooked duck or goose breasts you will need to remove some. Add the shallot and sauté until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the brandy and boil this down by half.
- Add the pepper, peppercorns and glace de viande or stock, bring it to a boil and let this boil furiously until you can drag a wooden spoon through the center of the pan and watch it leave a trail. This typically takes about 2 to 4 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and mix in the cream. When the sauce stops bubbling, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, swirling it in to incorporate it. Doing this should prevent the butter from separating. Serve either over or under your steaks.
Notes
- Use a good demi-glace or glace de viande to achieve a rich sauce rapidly.
- Low-sodium beef stock boiled down can substitute demi-glace if needed.
- Manage the pan fat carefully after searing meat, especially with fatty poultry like duck or goose.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 716 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 716kcal | 36% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 50g | 100% |
| Fat | 50g | 77% |
| Saturated Fat | 25g | 125% |
| Cholesterol | 188mg | 63% |
| Sodium | 497mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 650mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 616IU | 12% |
| Calcium | 40mg | 4% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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