Steak au Poivre or Steak au Poivre with Rum Sauce
Steak au poivre, or steak au poivre with rum sauce, is always a delicious and elegant dinner option, even for those who don’t eat red meat often. NouBess Hot and Spicy Sauce enhance the dish’s bold flavors, making it a truly unique and memorable meal.
Steak au poivre is a classic French dish consisting of a steak crusted in coarsely cracked black pepper, seared in a pan with clarified butter, and served with a pan sauce made with shallot, cream, and brandy. This version contains rum Barbancourt instead of brandy. The dish is known for its rich, decadent flavor, and the peppercorns provide a sharp, bright contrast that helps to cut through the richness.
If you’re looking for a delicious and elegant dinner option, steak au poivre is great. It’s also a great dish to make for special occasions. But why not put a twist on this classic dish by adding a splash of rum to the sauce?
Rum adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce that is truly unique. And, because rum is a good match for beef, it helps to bring out the steak’s natural flavors.
To make steak au poivre with rum sauce, follow the recipe for steak au poivre, but add 1 tablespoon of dark rum to the sauce along with the cream. Flambé the rum before adding the cream. This will give the sauce a richer, more complex flavor.

The ingredients for the Steak au Poivre
Steak au poivre is a surprisingly simple dish with key ingredients and simple steps. There are many recipes available online and in cookbooks, but the most important thing is to use high-quality ingredients and cook the steak to your liking.
- Beef tenderloin steaks: the main ingredient; choose 6 oz steaks
- Fresh garlic: you can use ground garlic, but fresh will make the steaks taste better.
- Salt: for seasoning
- Crushed black pepper: for extra seasoning
- Dry red wine: to add acidity and to tenderize the steaks.
- Unsalted butter: to create a smooth sauce. Choose unsalted instead of salted butter to control the saltiness in the recipes.
- White onion: for seasoning and texture.
- NouBess Original Hot and Spicy Sauce: to add some spiciness to the dish.
- Dark rum: to flavor both steaks and sauce.
- Gourmet Mixed Peppercorn: for seasoning
- Heavy cream: to create a creamy sauce.
- Salt to taste
How to prepare the steaks and make the sauce
- Season steaks with salt, pepper, garlic, and wine. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Sear steaks in butter over high heat for 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a warm platter.
- Make the sauce: Sauté onion and hot sauce in butter until browned. Add rum and heavy cream, and simmer until reduced by half. Return steaks to the pan and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Serve immediately with mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables.
My recipe features a unique blend of herbs and spices, including red wine and rum.
Red wine tenderizes the meat, while rum adds a smooth and complex flavor to the sauce. Both ingredients enhance the natural flavors of the steak without overpowering them.
You can use either white or black peppercorns, depending on your preference.

Notes and Tips for making the perfect steak au poivre with rum sauce:
- Use a good quality beef strip steak.
- Season the steak generously with salt and pepper.
- Don’t overcook the steak.
- Use clarified butter for a richer, more flavorful sauce.
- Don’t forget to flambé the rum!
Serving suggestions:
- Serve steak au poivre with rum sauce with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or a simple salad.
- For a truly decadent meal, serve the steak with a side of truffle fries.
- Pair the steak with a full-bodied red wine, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

Steak au poivre with rum sauce is a truly special dish. The rich, decadent flavor of the steak is perfectly complemented by the sharp, slightly sweet flavor of the sauce. And, the addition of rum adds a depth of flavor and complexity that takes the dish to the next level.
If you’re looking for a dish that is both delicious and impressive, I highly recommend trying steak au poivre with rum sauce. It’s sure to be a hit with your guests!
Steak au Poivre or Steak au Poivre with Rum Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 beef tenderloin steaks 6 ounces each, cut 1 inch thick
- 4 – 6 garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon coarsely crushed black pepper
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium white onion finely diced
- 1/2 to 1 tsp Noubess Original Hot and Spicy Sauce
- 2 – 3 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 tablespoon black or white peppercorn or a mixture of both
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Additional salt to taste
Instructions
- After cleaning the meat, put steaks in a shallow dish and season well on both sides with salt and black pepper and garlic evenly over steaks. Press spices mixture into both sides with hands. Pour wine on the side of the dish and let marinate at least 1 hour.
- Put a large heavy bottom skillet over high heat. When surface is nearly smoking, swirl 2 tablespoons butter in the pan and add steaks. Adjust heat as necessary to keep steaks sizzling briskly.
- Cook for 2 minutes on first side; seared side should be nicely browned. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer steaks to a warm platter.
- Make the sauce: Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add onion and NouBess hot and spicy sauce and sauté for a minute or so, stirring, until the onion slices begin to brown. Add rum and bring to a brisk simmer. Add heavy cream and continue to simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, return the steaks to the pan, and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and all flavors have been incorporated.
- Serve immediately with mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables or both.
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
Corn Allergy:
Always choose ingredients without corn or corn derivatives.
Originally published August 29, 2017. Revised and updated.
This sounds absolutely delicious. Oh my, I need to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Whenever we find steak on sale we always stock up, but we either cook them chicken fried or in pepper steak. This is a good option, especially considering we have many of the ingredients on hand.
Thank you, Tim, for your comment. It’s always good to have options and especially when you have the ingredients on hand.