September 9 is National Steak au Poivre Day. Here at BarbecueBible.com, we’re celebrating with one of the great French steak preparations: beef crusted with cracked black pepper and served with a Cognac cream sauce.

Traditionally, steak au poivre is made with filet mignon in a skillet on the stovetop. We’re taking it outside, using ribeye and a cast-iron skillet over a wood fire.

The idea for this version came from BarbecueBible Test-Kitchen Director Steve Nestor, who cooked a ribeye steak au poivre in cast iron over a wood fire in 2023. His original version inspired the approach here.

Why Ribeye for Steak au Poivre?

Ribeye brings considerably more marbling and beef flavor to the equation.

It also stands up well to the assertive flavors in this dish. There’s a lot going on between the cracked peppercorns, Dijon mustard, Cognac, and cream. Ribeye doesn’t disappear underneath the sauce.

Cast Iron Meets Wood Fire

Set up the grill for a two-zone wood fire, with a hot side and a cooler side. A chimney starter makes quick work of getting the fire going. The hot side will heat the skillet and cook the steak; the cooler side gives you a place to finish the sauce, especially once the Cognac comes out.

Lightly brush the ribeye with Dijon mustard, then coat it with freshly cracked black peppercorns. The mustard helps the pepper stick to the steak. And cracked is the operative word here. You want some texture from the peppercorns, not a coating of finely ground pepper.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over the hot side of the fire. Add the butter, then the pepper-crusted ribeye.

Cooking the steak in cast iron rather than directly on the grill grate keeps the butter, rendered beef fat, and browned bits in the pan.

 

Transfer the ribeye to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and let it rest while you make the sauce. Don’t wipe out the skillet. The butter, beef drippings, and browned bits left behind are the starting point for the au poivre sauce.

Building the Au Poivre Sauce

With the steak resting, sauté the diced shallot directly in the skillet, then add the mushrooms you grilled earlier over the wood fire.

Move the skillet to the cooler side of the grill before adding the Cognac. Pour it into the skillet, then ignite it with a long match or butane lighter, keeping your face and hands back from the pan. Let the flames burn out on their own, then stir in the Dijon mustard and heavy cream. Cook until the sauce reduces and thickens.

Recipe

Wood-Fired Ribeye Steak au Poivre

A thick-cut ribeye is brushed with Dijon mustard, crusted with cracked black pepper, and cooked in cast iron over a wood fire. The steak drippings become the base for a Cognac cream sauce with shallots and grilled mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 1 thick-cut ribeye steak, 16 to 20 ounces
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, for brushing the steak
• 2 tablespoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns, plus more for the sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 shallot, diced
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons Cognac
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, for the sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Set up the grill for a two-zone wood fire, with a hot side and a cooler side.
2. Grill the sliced mushrooms over the wood fire until browned. Set aside.
3. Lightly brush the ribeye with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, then coat it with the cracked black peppercorns.
4. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over the hot side of the fire. When the skillet is hot, add the butter. Once the butter melts, add the ribeye and cook for about 4 minutes. Flip the steak and cook for another 4 minutes, or until cooked to your desired doneness.
5. Transfer the steak to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and let it rest while you make the sauce. Do not wipe out the skillet.
6. Sauté the diced shallot in the remaining butter and steak juices. Add the grilled mushrooms and season with kosher salt and additional cracked black pepper.
7. Move the skillet to the cooler side of the grill and add the Cognac. Ignite it with a long match or butane lighter, keeping your face and hands back from the pan. Let the flames burn out on their own.
8. Stir in 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and the heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a boil, then cook until it reduces and thickens.
9. Slice the rested ribeye and spoon the au poivre sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Au poivre isn’t limited to ribeye. The same peppercorn-and-Cognac treatment works with strip steak, sirloin, or the traditional filet mignon. You can also take the sauce beyond beef and serve it with pork chops, lamb, or venison.

 

Not Hot Enough? Pepper Steak Barbecue University Style

This steak gets its smoky char flavor from a singular grilling method—cavemanning, aka grilling directly on the embers. I like to start with a nice thick T-bone for this recipe—1-1/2 inches thick. Season it super generously with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Build a charcoal fire and rake out the embers to an even layer. Fan the coals with a folded newspaper to dislodge any ash.

Then lay the T-bone directly on the coals. Grill until the bottom is charred and beads of blood start to pearl on the top, 3 minutes or so. Move the steak once or twice with tongs, so it grills evenly. Then, using long-handled tongs, invert it and grill the other side the same way. Transfer the steak to a wire rack over a sheet pan, shaking it to dislodge any embers.

And now the pepper sauce. Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a long-handled skillet directly on the embers. Add 4 thinly sliced jalapenos, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Cook the ingredients in the oil, stirring with tongs, until the jalapenos and garlic are sizzling and lightly browned. Pour the mixture over the steak and dig in.

Whichever version you choose, I’m sure you’ll agree that pepper(s) make a great steak taste even better!

Do you have a favorite steak au poivre? Share your photos on Steven’s social media: @stevenraichlen.

The post Hot or Hotter: Pepper Steak Two Ways appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

 

By Daniel Hale

There are burgers, and then there are burgers that make you rethink what a burger should be.

I came across these New Mexican Green Chile Burgers while paging through Steven Raichlen’s Raichlen’s Burgers.

This is the kind of burger I had never really considered. Sure, I’ve had plenty of chili cheeseburgers. But a green chile burger? That was something new for me.

So when Melissa’s Produce sent me a box of fresh mild Hatch chiles in the middle of Hatch season, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

I fired up the Monument Grills Eminence 605 and put Steven’s New Mexican burger to the test.

What Makes a Hatch Chile Different?

Hatch isn’t a particular variety of pepper. The name refers to chiles grown in and around New Mexico’s Hatch Valley.

They can range from mild to seriously hot, but what makes them special is their distinctive flavor—especially once they meet fire. Roasting softens the flesh, concentrates the flavor, and adds a smoky edge that makes green chile a natural partner for grilled beef.

 

Once roasted, the chiles are covered briefly to steam, then peeled, seeded, and cut into strips. Some go into the cheddar topping for the burgers, while the rest can be used to make Steven’s New Mexican Salsa Verde.

Making the Green Chile Burgers on the Monument Eminence 605

The first job for the Monument Grills Eminence 605 was roasting the Hatch chiles.

I fired up the grill and brought the temperature to around 550° to 600°F. That intense heat quickly blistered and blackened the skins while softening the flesh underneath.

 

The Eminence 605’s six main burners made it easy to generate the high heat I was looking for. I placed the chiles directly over the heat and turned them until the skins were blistered on all sides.

While they cooked, I kept an eye on the grill through the Monument Grills app. The Eminence 605 connects to the app via Bluetooth, allowing me to monitor the grill temperature from my phone without constantly lifting the lid.

 

Once the chiles were roasted, peeled, and seeded, they became the ingredient that really sets Steven’s New Mexican Green Chile Burger apart.

The chile shows up twice. First, strips of fire-roasted Hatch chile are combined with grated white cheddar and piled onto the hot burger, where the cheese melts around the peppers.

Then comes the salsa verde. Made with roasted green chiles, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and oregano, it adds another layer of chile flavor along with acidity and freshness.

The burgers themselves are intentionally simple: ground chuck or sirloin seasoned generously with salt and pepper. After roasting the chiles, I used the Eminence 605 to grill the beef patties and toast the hamburger buns.

 

Steven’s original recipe calls for New Mexican green chiles, Anaheim chiles, or poblanos. If you can get fresh Hatch chiles while they’re in season, use them.

Recipe

New Mexican Green Chile Burgers with Salsa Verde

Recipe by Steven Raichlen

These New Mexican green chile burgers get a double dose of chile flavor from fire-roasted peppers mixed with white cheddar and a fresh New Mexican salsa verde.

Method
Direct grilling

Serves
4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roasted New Mexican green chiles, Anaheim chiles, or poblano peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips (4 to 5 chiles)
• 4 ounces white Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin or chuck
• Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 hamburger buns
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• New Mexican Salsa Verde

Instructions

1. Place the chile strips in a serving bowl and stir in the Cheddar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Wet your hands with cold water and divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions. Working quickly and with a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty. Place the patties on a plate lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.
3. Generously, and I mean generously, season each patty on both sides with salt and black pepper. Grill the burgers until they are cooked through. Remove the burgers and cover to keep warm. Leave the grill on.
4. Brush the cut sides of the hamburger buns with the olive oil. Place the buns on the hot grill, cut side down, and, lowering the temperature if necessary, grill until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. You may need to work in batches.
5. Place each of the burgers on the bottom half of a bun and top each with a quarter of the chile and cheese mixture. Spoon some salsa verde over each, top with the other half of the bun, and serve at once.

Fire Up a Different Kind of Burger

I have to say, this burger was fantastic.

You get great beefy flavor up front, followed by the roasted chile and just enough Hatch chile heat at the finish. The salsa verde adds brightness without overpowering the burger.

A great burger doesn’t always need bacon, a dozen toppings, or some complicated secret sauce. Sometimes all it takes is good beef, a hot grill, melted cheese, and one ingredient that changes the whole personality of the burger.

In New Mexico, that ingredient is green chile.

After trying one topped with fire-roasted Hatch chiles, the standard lettuce-and-tomato cheeseburger suddenly has some serious competition.

 

A huge thanks to Monument Grills for sponsoring this post.

The post Fire-Roasted Hatch Chile Burgers:<br /> A Taste of New Mexico appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Steak! A five-letter word that spells a mountain of pleasure. For some of us, it’s the ultimate luxury; for others, a weeknight dinner. It’s so easy to grill, even a first-timer can earn bragging rights, yet you can spend a lifetime perfecting the fine points. Steak is the one dish everyone should know how to grill.

Too often, people make simple, avoidable mistakes: Undercooking. Overcooking. Flipping too seldom or too often. Leaving the beef out to warm to room temperature (especially dangerous in summertime heat). Serving it hot off the grill or resting it so long, the steak is cold by the time you cut into it.

Here’s the ultimate guide to achieving the perfect steak every time.

Steak Cooking at a Glance

• Best Steaks: Ribeye, NY Strip, Porterhouse, Filet Mignon, Skirt, Flank, Hanger
• Seasoning: Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Doneness (Med-Rare): 130^°F to 135^°∘F
• Resting: 1 to 2 minutes on a wire rack
• Best Method: Direct grilling for steaks up to 1-1/2 inches thick; reverse searing link for 3- to 4-inch thick monsters

Step 1: Start with the Right Steak

Five factors determine the excellence of your steak: cattle breed, feed, aging, grade, and cut.

• Prime vs. Choice: The USDA grades beef on marbling (intramuscular fat). Only 2% of beef qualifies as Prime—highly flavorful, tender, and luscious. Choice is what you find at most supermarkets—less rich, but still very tasty.
• Wagyu vs. Angus: Wagyu is renowned for its hyper-generous marbling; an A-5 Japanese Wagyu looks like white lace on red cloth. Angus delivers a bold, robust, classic beefy flavor enjoyed across North America.

  

• Grain-Fed vs. Grass-Fed: Corn-fed beef produces rich, buttery, meaty steaks. Grass-fed beef is leaner with a distinctive, almost herbaceous flavor. The ideal compromise is beef raised on grass, then finished with grain.
• Dry-Aged vs. Wet: Dry-aged beef, hung unwrapped in climate-controlled rooms for 28 to 36 days, loses moisture, concentrating the beefy flavor and creating rich umami notes. Wet-aged beef matures in vacuum-sealed plastic; it is faster, cheaper, and tasty enough, but lacks the rich, concentrated flavor of dry-aged beef.

  

The Four Steak Categories

1. The Noble Steaks: Upper steer cuts (filet mignon, ribeye, strip, porterhouse) that are intrinsically tender and rich.

   

2. The Belly Steaks: Undercarriage cuts (skirt, flank, hanger). Intensely flavorful but stringy; slice thinly against the grain to ensure tenderness.
3. The Tough Steaks: Round and chuck. Slice paper-thin for cheesesteaks or chop fine for carne asada.

   

4. The Cult Steaks: Unique cuts like tri-tip, picanha (featuring a luscious fat cap), and flatiron.

Step 2: Keep Seasoning Simple and Strategic

For premium beef, skip heavy, muddying marinades. Stick to coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Season your steak early—about 45 to 60 minutes before grilling. This allows the salt to draw out moisture, dissolve, and reabsorb back into the fibers, seasoning the meat deeply. If you’re short on time, season immediately before the steak hits the grates.

Do not let steaks warm to room temperature beforehand. The difference in cooking time is negligible, and it is simply not worth the food safety risk. Keep them cold until they go on the grill.

Step 3: Set Up Your Grill for Two-Zone Cooking (Wood Smoke Optional, But Desired)

Arrange your coals or burners so you have a screaming-hot direct zone for searing and a cooler, zone for cooking. Control the cooking by moving the steak back and forth between the hot and less hot zone. Add wood chunks or chips (like oak, hickory, or pecan) directly to your coals or place in your gas grill’s smoker box. A quick blast of wood smoke during grilling makes a good steak great and a great steak unforgettable.

Step 4: Sear Hot and Flip Frequently

Forget the old myth of flipping your steak only once to get crosshatch grill marks. (Mea culpa—I used to recommend this in my earlier books.) I’ve come to see that flipping your steak often—every 20 to 30 seconds—cooks the meat more evenly and helps build a darker, richer crust. Focus on the crust and flip often.

Step 5: Master the Reverse Sear

1. Place your seasoned steak on the cooler, indirect side of your grill (225^°F to 250^°F).
2. Indirect grill (with grill lid down) to heat the meat to an internal temperature about 20^°F below your target doneness (for example, to 110^°F for a medium-rare steak)
3. Move the steak directly over the high-heat, searing for 1 to 2 minutes per side to build a sizzling dark crust and internal temperature of 130^°F.

Note: Measure internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally through the side of the steak. For the poke test, press the top of the steak with your forefinger. The amount of resistance will tell you the doneness. Use a thermometer for thicker steaks; the poke test for thin steaks like skirt.

Step 6: Give It a Rest

A steak served “hot off the grill” sounds romantic, but resting your steak on a wire rack over a sheet pan for a minute or two will give you a tenderer, juicier steak. (Resting relaxes the meat, allowing the juices to redistribute. The wire rack keep the bottom from getting soggy.) But over-resting results in a lukewarm or even cold steak, which does the meat an injustice.

Step 7: Carve It Right

It has become fashionable, if not de rigueur, for steakhouses to pre-slice your steak before serving. Don’t. This may look dramatic, but a pre-sliced steak gets cold and dry very quickly. Serve your steak whole and let the diner slice it him- or herself.

Note: the one exception here are belly steaks, like skirt and flank, which should be thinly sliced across the grain to shorten the tough meat fibers.

Finally, don’t forget to anoint

A great steak needs little more than salt and pepper by way of a seasoning, but a pat of compound butter link or drizzle of melted butter or extra virgin olive oil makes a great steak even better

Great Steak Recipes to Try Next

• Smoked-Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Jalapeño-Horseradish Butter: Ribeyes get a blast of wood smoke and a rich, spicy compound butter.
• Classic Tuscan Bistecca alla Fiorentina: A thick Porterhouse finished with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.
• Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter: Thick tomahawk steaks are reverse-seared, then finished with a bold blue cheese butter.
• Churrasco-Style Skirt Steak: Searing hot skirt steak served with bright chimichurri.

More Steak Recipes »

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to cook steak on the grill?

For thick cuts, use the reverse sear method. For thinner cuts, cook directly over high heat, flipping frequently.

How long should you grill steak?

Figure on 2 to 2-1/2 minutes per side for thin steaks, about 1/2 inch thick; 3 to 4 minutes per side for 1-inch steaks; and about 5 minutes per side for 1-1/2-inch steaks. When using the reverse sear method for a really thick steak, figure on 40 to 60 minutes for the low-heat indirect grilling, followed by 2 to 3 minutes per side for the high-heat sear.

What temperature should steak be cooked to?

Medium-rare, 130^°F to 135^°F, is ideal for many steaks. Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of the steak to verify doneness. For thinner steaks, like skirt and flank, use the poke test: press the meat with your forefinger to feel the resistance. Pull the steak a few degrees early, as carryover cooking will raise the temperature during resting.

How do you make steak tender on the grill?

Select well-marbled cuts, season like you mean it, do not overcook, and rest the meat for a minute or two before serving.

Should you grill steak with the lid open or closed?

Keep the lid open when searing thin steaks over high heat. Keep the lid closed during indirect cooking or when finishing thick steaks.

The post How to Grill the Perfect Steak: 7 Steps to Tender, Juicy, Smoky Beefy Nirvana appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Reverse Sear what is it? After talking with a few folks there seem to be 2 schools of thought here. 1. Do a sear on your meat then smoke it. 2. Smoke your meat, and then do your sear. I got 1000’s of responses on both options so I thought I would do some research […]