Steak au Poivre Benedict

This classic brunch dish is transformed by subbing traditional Canadian bacon for a peppercorn-crusted strip steak that is perfectly seared and smothered in a creamy au poivre-inspired hollandaise sauce. The foolproof sauce—a rich, creamy French sauce made with coarsely ground black pepper—comes together using your food processor or blender. Feel free to substitute with your favorite cut of steak, just adjust the cooking time to your desired doneness.

1 12-14 oz. strip steak, about 1-1½ inch thick

3 tablespoons black peppercorns, whole

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado oil

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, finely diced

1 teaspoon cognac or bourbon (optional)

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

8 poached eggs

4 English muffins, toasted

Chives, chopped

Remove steak from refrigerator and pat totally dry using paper towels. Coarsely crush peppercorns with the backside of a knife or a rolling pin. Season steak with Kosher salt and some of the crushed peppercorns and let sit while you prepare the hollandaise. Reserve the remaining crushed peppercorns.

Add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When melted, add shallot and 2 teaspoons of reserved crushed black peppercorns and cook for 2 minutes, until the shallots are softened. Add bourbon, if using, and cook until the alcohol has evaporated, about 1 minute or less. Add remaining butter, allowing it to melt and bubble, but not brown.

In a food processor, add 3 egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of water. Turn on the food processor and stream in the hot butter very slowly, a spoonful at a time. The sauce should thicken as the butter is added. When the sauce has emulsified, add lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt and more water, as needed, until pourable.

Heat a large stainless steel frying pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Once hot, add steak and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Once the steak has started to release from the pan, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Check the internal temperature. If you’re close to 130°F, continue cooking. If you have a thicker steak and you’re under 115°F, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and baste the steak in the butter until it reaches 130°F. Remove the steak and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

To assemble, start with a toasted English muffin. Add sliced steak and a poached egg, then drizzle with au poivre hollandaise sauce. Top with chopped chives and more reserved peppercorns, as desired