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Meat, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Pepper steak with sautéed potatoes

Pepper steak with sautéed potatoes is a beef dish crusted in cracked pepper, flambéed with cognac, and finished with a creamy pan sauce, served with sautéed potatoes. It serves 4, takes 35 minutes, is rated easy, and costs about €4.60 per person. The key is coarsely cracked pepper and a short cooking time for the steak.

Tonight, a thick steak crusted in cracked pepper, flambéed with cognac, with a creamy pan sauce and golden sautéed potatoes.

Pepper steak with sautéed potatoes
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.60
Calories per person
600 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Pepper steak is red meat with real character, no extra effort required. The cracked pepper crust gives a satisfying bite, the cream sauce softens the heat, and the flambéed cognac fills the kitchen with that unmistakable aroma. The sautéed potatoes, crisp outside and soft inside, soak up the sauce perfectly.

It's a dish for a night when you want something special without spending the whole evening cooking, or for having people over without stress. Kids can eat the meat with less of the peppery crust if they're sensitive to it, while adults enjoy the full sauce. Thirty five minutes is all it takes, from the stove to the table.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Beef steaks (rump or sirloin) 4

Pantry

  • Peppercornsoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Cognac 4 cl
  • Veal stock concentrateoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Heavy cream 20 cl
  • Butter 40 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 900 g

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes, and sauté them in the oil in a skillet with a pinch of salt. 25 min

    Parboil them for 5 minutes first so they turn golden without burning.

  2. Crack the peppercorns and press them onto both sides of the steaks.

    Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking it.

  3. Cook the steaks in the butter, 2 to 3 minutes per side, then set them aside. 6 min

    Don't pierce them, flip with a spatula instead.

  4. Deglaze the pan with cognac, flambé, then add the cream and veal stock concentrate. 3 min

    Let it reduce a few minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

  5. Return the steaks to the sauce for a few seconds and serve with the sautéed potatoes. 1 min

    Salt the meat only at the end, the pepper already does the work.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick steaks of the same thickness so they all cook at the same rate.
  • Flambé the cognac away from your face and anything overhead, in a pan you can cover quickly if needed.
  • Keep the meat warm under foil while you finish the sauce, it keeps cooking gently without drying out.

The variations

  • Swap the cognac for armagnac or whiskey, the flambé step works just the same.
  • For an alcohol free version, deglaze with beef broth and add a touch of mustard for depth.
  • For kids, set aside some meat before adding the pepper crust and serve the sauce on the side.

What to serve it with

  • A sharply dressed green salad
  • Steamed green beans
  • A glass of red grape juice

Storage

Store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days. The cream sauce doesn't freeze well, it tends to separate, so it's best made fresh. Reheat the meat and sauce gently in a pan over low heat so the sauce doesn't boil.

Questions about this dish

What's the best pepper for pepper steak?

Coarsely cracked black peppercorns give the best result, they add crunch without burning. Skip finely ground pepper, it darkens too fast during cooking and turns bitter.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

You can make the sauce an hour ahead and warm it gently before serving. Cook the steak at the last minute so it stays tender and juicy.

How do you flambé cognac safely?

Pour the cognac into the hot pan, step back, then bring a flame close or tilt the pan slightly if you're cooking on gas. Keep a lid nearby just in case.

How long should you cook the steaks?

Two to three minutes per side gives a medium rare result depending on thickness. Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking for more even results.

How long does it take to make a pepper steak with sautéed potatoes?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a pepper steak with sautéed potatoes?

About 600 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a pepper steak with sautéed potatoes cost?

About €4.60 per serving, or €18.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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