Recipes

Mexican-Style Steak Au Poivre with Chipotle-Cream Sauce

Shop This Video

A classic French dish gets a new spin with Mexican ingredients.

By Edgar Rico
Feb 2, 2024
Jump to the Recipe
45 Minutes
4 Servings
Medium

James Beard Award-winning Chef Edgar Rico combined his classic French culinary training with the flavors of his restaurant, Nixta Taqueria in Austin, Texas, to give the classic French dish Steak Au Poivre (pepper steak) his own spin. The rich pan sauce swaps the traditional cognac for mezcal, and features the addition of smoky and spicy chipotle chiles.

This recipe serves four for an intimate dinner party, but can easily be halved for a date night in. No matter how big your crowd, it comes together beautifully thanks to the searing power of our Enameled Cast Iron Skillet.

Mexican-Style Steak Au Poivre with Chipotle-Cream Sauce

A classic French dish gets a new spin with Mexican ingredients.

Edgar Rico

45 Minutes
4 Servings
Medium
Ingredients
  • 2 (12-ounce) New York Strip steaks
  • 2 tablespoons mixed peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil such as grapeseed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 3 tablespoons green peppercorns in brine
  • 1 ½ tablespoons seeded and chopped chipotles in adobo
  • ¼ cup mezcal
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth or stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Chopped parsley and flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)
Instructions
    1.

    Preheat oven to 325F. Pat steaks dry and allow to sit at room temperature 60–90 minutes.

    2.

    Place peppercorns in a heavy-duty resealable bag and set on a Sheet Pan. Using a heavy Saucepan, crack peppercorns so they are broken but still coarse in texture, then pour onto Sheet Pan.

    3.

    Season steaks on both sides with 1 ½ teaspoons salt.

    4.

    Push one side of each steak into the cracked peppercorns to coat.

    5.

    Heat a large Enameled Cast Iron Skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering.

    6.

    Working in batches if necessary, sear sides of steak to render fat, about 2 minutes.

    7.

    Sear pepper side down, 1 ½–2 minutes to develop a brown crust. Flip pepper side up, add butter to Skillet, and baste steaks, 1–2 minutes more.

    8.

    Remove steaks from Skillet (reserve Skillet for pan sauce) and transfer to a Cooling Rack set over a Sheet Pan. Bake until they reach an internal temperature of 130F for medium rare, 6–8 minutes depending on thickness of steak.

    9.

    While steaks bake, assemble the pan sauce: return Skillet (no need to wipe out) to medium heat, add shallots and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and saute 1 minute.

    10.

    Stir in green peppercorns, then chipotles, then mezcal. Flambé if comfortable, or reduce the liquid until all the alcohol has cooked off, about 1 minute.

    11.

    Stir in beef broth and heavy cream and bring to a boil.

    12.

    Rapidly simmer until the sauce has reduced by half, 8—10 minutes. The sauce should be a “nappe” consistency, or thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

    13.

    Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

    14.

    Add any steak drippings from the Sheet Pan to the sauce, stir to incorporate.

    15.

    Spread sauce on the bottom of a Serving Platter. Slice steak and fan on top of sauce. Top with parsley and flaky salt, if using.