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Le Chaudron recipe
Tournedos sauce poivre
Beef tenderloin steaks with peppercorn sauce
⏱ 25 minServes 4Medium520 kcal
A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.
01 — Ingredients4 servings
4beef tenderloin steaks, 180 g (6 oz) each
4 tbspbrined green peppercorns, drained- 1 tbspcoarsely cracked black pepper
300 ml (1¼ cups)thick crème fraîche
100 ml (½ cup)cognac
200 ml (¾ cup)veal stock
2gray shallots
60 g (2 oz)unsalted butter
2 tbspolive oil
1 tspfleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
- 4 beef tenderloin steaks, 180 g (6 oz) each
- 4 tbsp brined green peppercorns, drained
- 1 tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) thick crème fraîche
- 100 ml (½ cup) cognac
- 200 ml (¾ cup) veal stock
- 2 gray shallots
- 60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
Quantities scaled for — some (egg, lemon, garlic…) are rounded to what’s practical.
Serves 4. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.
03 — Method
- Take the tenderloin steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature. It’s essential for even cooking and a perfectly rare center.
- Peel the 2 shallots and chop them very finely into even 3 mm (⅛ in) dice. Drain the brined green peppercorns in a fine strainer and rinse them briefly in cold water to soften their bite.
- Season the steaks on both sides with fleur de sel, then roll them generously in the cracked pepper, pressing so it sticks. That pepper crust is the signature of a classic steak au poivre.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and 20 g of butter in the large cast-iron skillet over high heat until the butter foams without burning. Sear the steaks for 3 minutes per side for rare (4 minutes for medium-rare).
- Set the steaks aside on a warm plate under a sheet of foil. Let them rest for 5 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat — that’s what keeps them juicy and tender.
- In the same skillet with the pan drippings, melt 20 g of butter and sweat the chopped shallots for 3 minutes over medium heat without browning. Deglaze with the Cognac and flambé for 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol while keeping the aroma.
- Pour the veal stock into the skillet and reduce for 5 minutes over high heat until syrupy. Stir in the thick crème fraîche and cook for 5 minutes over low heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the drained green peppercorns and the resting juices from the steaks to the sauce. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining cold butter for a glossy sauce. Plate the steaks on warm plates and spoon the sauce generously over them.
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