Chicago Steakhouse Peppercorn-Crusted Filet with Crab Au Poivre
An elegant, steakhouse-style dish that blends bold and luxurious flavors. Peppercorn-crusted filet mignon is seared to perfection, creating a savory crust that complements the tender, juicy steak. Topped with decadent crab au poivre—rich with creamy, peppery notes—this dish delivers a refined balance of land and sea, perfect for a special occasion or an unforgettable dinner.
Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro and Geoffrey Zakarian
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns cracked
- 1 tablespoon whole green peppercorns cracked
- 1 tablespoon whole pink peppercorns cracked
- 7 tablespoons grapeseed oil divided
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 center-cut beef filets each about 2 inches thick
Crab Au Poivre:
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns toasted
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup cognac
- 3/4 cup beef stock
- 2 teaspoons Calabrian chile paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Picked leaves of 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- For the filets: Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Spray a wire rack fitted into a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium pot, heat the black, green and pink peppercorns and 5 tablespoons of the oil over low heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until you see tiny bubbles, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Remove from the heat to cool.
- Stir the salt into the pepper mixture to form a paste.
- Dip each filet all around in the peppercorn paste and place on the prepared sheet pan.
- Place in the oven to reverse sear until the internal temperature hits 120 degrees F, 25 to 35 minutes.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the first side of the filets until a very dark golden crust forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and repeat. Remove from the skillet and let rest on the wire-racked sheet pan, lightly tented with foil, for 5 minutes.
For the crab au poivre:
- While the filets are cooking, coarsely crush the black peppercorns with either a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy frying pan.
- Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat until the butter melts.
- Add the shallots and garlic and season with salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cognac and cook, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until it has almost evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the stock, chile paste, Dijon, thyme, the reserved crushed peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the cream and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Gently stir in the crabmeat. Fold in the chives and parsley.
- Serve atop steaks.
Notes
Source The Kitchen, Episodes: Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork and Summer Steakhouse Dinner
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/chicago-steakhouse-peppercorn-crusted-filet-with-crab-au-poivre-12558087#:~:text=For%20the%20crab%20au%20poivre%3A,heavy%20frying%20pan.%20Set%20aside.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/chicago-steakhouse-peppercorn-crusted-filet-with-crab-au-poivre-12558087#:~:text=For%20the%20crab%20au%20poivre%3A,heavy%20frying%20pan.%20Set%20aside.
