The French translation is “with pepper”. As such, it is often used to refer to a dish that has been prepared/coated with a generous amount of pepper. The pepper in question is usually coarsely ground black pepper. More often than not, you have probably heard the term used with reference to steak au poivre.

While it is difficult to determine the history of the term or the specific usage of pepper for such preparations, it is possible to determine when steak au poivre first came into existence. This preparation of steak first came into vogue in the early 19th century.