How to Pepper Crust a Steak

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 References

Cracked black pepper and steak is a traditional match featured in many recipes like the classic French dish, steak au poivre. Steak au poivre, or pepper steak, is a French dish that consists of a steak, traditionally a filet mignon, coated with loosely cracked peppercorns and then cooked. The peppercorns form a crust on the steak when cooked and provide a pungent but complementary counterpoint to the rich flavor of the high-quality beef. Crusting steak with cracked pepper, however, takes a little more than rubbing the meat with ground pepper. This article will give you some information about black pepper and tell you how to prepare it for crusting a steak.

Steps

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Learn about how black pepper can be used.^{[1]
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- Whole black peppercorns can be used to flavor long-simmered sauces or soups. When used in this fashion, a subtle, almost floral, pepper flavor is imparted into the food.
- When ground, some of the essential oils of the peppercorns are disbursed into the air and the resulting flavor is pungent.
- Crushed peppercorns retain most of their essential oils, giving them a very pungent flavor that pairs well with the taste of beef.
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Toast the peppercorns before crushing.^{[2]
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- While many recipes do not require toasting the peppercorns before using them, doing so can help to improve the flavor of your dish. As is the case with most spices, the heat from toasting brings out the essential oils in the peppercorns and allows the full flavor of these dried berries to be tasted.
- To toast, simply heat the peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking occasionally, until fragrant, which should only take 3-to-5 minutes. Allow them to cool before crushing.
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Crush the peppercorns using one of these techniques.
- The classic way to crush peppercorns is by using a mortal and pestle. Crushing by hand allows you to easily monitor the extent of the crushing.
- Using an electric spice or coffee grinder is more time-saving if a large amount of peppercorns need to be crushed. Grind the peppercorns by pulsing, checking periodically to make sure they don't get over processed.^{[3]
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- Another technique that takes some arm strength, but gets excellent results, uses common kitchen pans. Pour the peppercorns into a large heavy skillet. Crush the pepper using the bottom of a heavy saucepan. The skillet helps to keep the berries from shooting all over your kitchen.^{[4]
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- A simpler technique is to pour the peppercorns into a zip-top bag and sealing it after removing as much air as possible. Lay the bag down, smoothing the berries out into a single layer. Then pound the berries with a rolling pin, meat mallet or even a hammer.
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Coat the meat with the crushed peppercorns.
- Most recipes will have you oil and salt the meat, then press the pepper into the surface. Follow your recipe for best results.^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

Will this method work on a pork fillet?

Community Answer

Yes, this method will work on almost all meats because the crust sticks to anything. This should work on pork, chicken and even fish.

Warnings

Never use a non-stick skillet if you're using the skillet and saucepan method of crushing peppercorns. The grinding of the hard berries and the saucepan could ruin the non-stick surface.

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Completely clean your spice or coffee grinder after crushing peppercorns so the pepper flavor is not imparted into anything ground in the future.

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Avoid preground pepper. Once ground, pepper begins to lose much of its flavor, leaving mostly bitterness. Try to use freshly ground pepper whenever possible.^{[6]
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