Au poivre without green pepper, is it good?

So I am trying to learn different recipes. One I'd like to do soon is the steak au poivre, it's a quite simple one but all the recipes I found say you need green pepper (peppercorn, not bell) and I can't find it in the local market.

I'd like to know what other kind(s) of pepper would be a good alternative (here I can find easily black, white and pink pepper), or if any of them would. I have never tasted green pepper so I don't really know what to expect from it. The dish should look like this:

enter image description here

http://www.cavemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Steak-au-Poivre-KF-1024x682.jpg

Best Answer

Technically, green peppercorns are from the same plant as black or white peppercorns. Green peppercorns are unripe black peppercorns, and white peppercorns are black peppercorns with the outer coat removed.

Green peppercorns are true peppercorns of the Piper nigrium flowering vine plant.... Green peppercorns are really unripe black peppercorns. These are often preserved in brine or vinegar and served in pickled form. In dried form, they don't last very long and have to be used quickly. They're commonly found in Thai and other Southeast Asian recipes and have a fresher flavor than their black counterparts. (via Kitchn.com)

Most steak au poivre that I have had (never made it myself) had visibly black peppercorns, coarsely cracked and liberally coating the outside. I would suggest using that while you're perfecting cooking technique, and then try using pink (or if you can ever find them, perhaps in an Asian market, green) to see whether and how much it impacts the flavor of the dish.

One potential substitute is capers, which are also preserved in brine (and if I didn't know better, I'd think the dish in your Question's picture had capers in the sauce), but the flavor is likely to be fairly different.

Pictures about "Au poivre without green pepper, is it good?"

Au poivre without green pepper, is it good? - Assorted Vegetables on Brown Wooden Table

Au poivre without green pepper, is it good? - Flat-lay Photography of Variety of Vegetables

Au poivre without green pepper, is it good? - Assorted Spices on Brown Wooden Table Beside Red and White Textile

What can replace green peppercorns?

If you don't have green peppercorns you can substitute equal amounts of:

You can use brined peppercorns in place of freeze-dried (less salty)
OR - Alternate dried pink peppercorns (milder)
OR - Black peppercorns (hotter)
OR - White peppercorns.

Can I use black peppercorns instead of green?

Green peppercorns are unripe black peppercorns and they have a fresher flavor. If you have them dried, you can use them as a substitute, but they will add less heat and more of a vegetal flavor.

Can you use black peppercorns instead of green in peppercorn sauce?

The alcoholic taste is cooked out and you're left with an amazing sweet/savoury/creamy sauce with great depth of flavour and beautiful pops of heat from the peppercorns. Use crushed black peppercorns for spicier or canned green peppercorns for more mild heat.

What do you use green peppercorns for?

Whole green peppercorns make for an excellent addition to poultry, fish, vegetable, and milder game meats. Green peppercorns go especially well with very fresh or fruity tasting foods. Try them ground on salads, steamed vegetables, salsas, and in sauces.

Don't tell anyone! Steak au poivre, the world's simplest pepper steak!

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Harry Dona, Adonyi Gábor, Engin Akyurt, Engin Akyurt