There's flavor in all that brown.
Special dinners often spotlight expensive cuts of steak or seafood, but when I want a fancy plate starring vegetables, this Cauliflower Steak au Poivre is my go-to. Roasted cauliflower steaks are topped with a rich and creamy cognac sauce and more black pepper for an elegant vegetarian version of this steakhouse classic.
Transforming any meat-focused dish into a vegetarian main is rarely as simple as just swapping in a vegetable for the meat. Vegetables typically have much more fiber and water than steak, seafood, or chicken, so they cook differently and require different seasoning to make them shine. In this case, I’ve made a few changes to the traditional steak au poivre recipe in my quest to make it a new cauliflower classic:
Roasting the cauliflower. In typical steak au poivre, the steak is pan-fried, not roasted. But cauliflower is too fibrous to cook through easily in a pan without burning—and the steaks tend to fall apart. Roasting, on the other hand, imparts a gorgeous browned caramelized crust, and concentrates those natural nutty, toasted flavors. I often use a dark metal baking sheet to encourage maximum browning. Don’t be shy on that caramelization—that’s where the flavor is.
Scaling back on the peppercorns. Cauliflower isn’t rich or hearty enough to stand up to the typical crushed peppercorn crust that’s applied to the steak in a classic au poivre dish, so I’ve opted to grind the peppercorns and use that to season the cauliflower before roasting, as well as adding it to the sauce and sprinkling it over the final dish. It’s still a pepper-forward dish: I’ve just tempered it to fit with the cauliflower.
Amping the sauce. We don’t have the fond from searing steaks to amplify the sauce flavor here, so I’ve turned up the dial on the shallots and garlic—and I haven’t been shy with the cognac. If you’re not a fan of alcohol, you can use vegetable stock instead—and maybe whisk in a few teaspoons of miso for an extra bump of flavor.
Any leftover cauliflower can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days; the sauce can also be stored separately in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I recommend reheating the sauce in a pan over low heat with a teaspoon or two of water to help it loosen back up.
Enjoy!
Cauliflower Steak au Poivre
(Serves 2-3)
1 large cauliflower
3 tbsp. neutral oil
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp. coarsely ground black peppercorns, plus more to taste
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp. cognac or brandy
½ cup vegetable stock
½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425° F, rack in the middle position.
Place cauliflower on a cutting board, stem down, and carefully slice into ¾” thick steaks. (The end pieces which aren’t connected to the core will fall apart, which is fine. You should still have 2-3 center steaks which do hold together.)
Arrange whole cauliflower steaks on an unlined metal baking sheet, along with any larger floret pieces that have broken off the ends of the cauliflower. (Reserve any tiny bits of cauliflower for another use, or discard.) Brush both sides with neutral oil and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Rearrange cauliflower as necessary so it’s evenly spaced and all large cut sides are facing down.
Roast cauliflower, undisturbed, until deeply golden brown on the bottom and tender in the center, 25-30 minutes. (If you’re concerned about the cauliflower getting too browned, check underneath after 20 minutes—but you’re really going for a deep caramelized color so don’t be scared of the brown!)
Meanwhile, in a medium pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallot and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add cognac or brandy and bring to a simmer. Stir, scraping to dislodge any small bits that might be on the bottom of the pan, until the alcohol has almost entirely evaporated, 1-2 minutes.
Stir in broth and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5-7 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Flip steaks so browned side is facing up and transfer to a serving platter. Serve topped with au poivre sauce and a sprinkling of black pepper.
Originally posted February 9, 2025.
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