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Steak with Creamy

Peppercorn Sauce
BY: Nagi PUBLISHED: 28 May '18 UPDATED: 12 Feb '21

134 Comments

RECIPE V VIDEO V DOZER V

One of my favourite steak sauces – a creamy

Peppercorn Sauce made with brandy or cognac,
beef broth, cream and plenty of crushed
peppercorns.

A steakhouse classic, this creamy pepper

sauce with juicy steak is a match made in
heaven. And it’s made with just 4 ingredients.
Four. FOUR!!!

Creamy Peppercorn Sauce –

a Steakhouse classic
Creamy Peppercorn Sauce was always my first
choice at steakhouses which I frequented
quite regularly back in my corporate days.

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Having traded in suits and heels for an apron,

there’s no corporate lunches for me anymore. I
make my steaks at home!

There are a handful of truly great sauces in this

world that are deceptively simple to make,
and this creamy pepper sauce for steak is one
of them.

How to make Creamy

Peppercorn Sauce
This is an exceptionally simple sauce to make
with few ingredients, making for a quick dinner
any night:

Cook steak to your taste, then remove and

rest while you make the sauce;
Make sauce: In the same pan, add brandy
or cognac, simmer rapidly for 1 minute
until the alcohol smell is gone;
Add beef broth/stock, and simmer rapidly
until it reduces by half (intensifies the
flavour);
Stir through cream and crushed
peppercorns. Serve over steak!

TIPS:

The alcohol brings incredible depth of

flavour to the sauce, it’s the secret
ingredient. Classic creamy peppercorn
sauce is made cognac or brandy, but I’ve
made this plenty of times with marsala too.
I love ’em all!
Using freshly crushed peppercorns are
best for a really great pepper flavour. Or
use canned green peppercorns for less
heat.

PS Note how I’m searing the sides of the

steak Always sear the fat strip. Nobody
likes a big fat rubbery strip of fat on their steak!

Quick for midweek!

Serve it up with Crispy Smashed Potatoes or
Paris Mash and a quick Garlic Spinach side for
a true Steakhouse experience! – Nagi x

PS It’s worth getting a decent steak for this

one. If you get a really good value economy
steak, try my Steak Marinade instead – it will
tenderise and add subtle flavour.

On the
most
reliable
wireless network.

TRY THESE ON THE SIDE:

For a Steakhouse experience – Paris Mash
and Garlic Sautéed Spinach
Lemon Roasted Potatoes or Lemon Potato
Salad
Crispy Smashed Potatoes or Potatoes au
Gratin
Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Parmesan Roasted Green Beans

AND MORE GREAT STEAK

SAUCES:
A Mushroom Sauce for Steak
Béarnaise sauce
Garlic Thyme Butter Basted Steak – a
simple, amazing Cheffy technique for
cooking steak
Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Mushroom Gravy – use the sauce in this
Chicken with Mushroom Gravy
Beef Steak Marinade
Asian Steak Sauce

And save up to
$
300
on your wireless bill.
/yr.

Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

For Steak
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Steak with Creamy Peppercorn …

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Steak with Creamy

Peppercorn Sauce
Author: Nagi Prep: 5 mins Cook: 12 mins
Total: 17 mins
4.95 from 37 votes

Servings 2 Tap or hover to scale

Print

Recipe video above. One of the best steak sauces in

this world! It's super simple because it's made using
the steak drippings and either brandy or cognac. 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.

Ingredients
2 300g/10oz New York Strip / Porterhouse steaks
(or other of choice, Note 1)
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil

SAUCE:
1/3 cup (85 ml) brandy or cognac (or marsala)
(Note 2)
3/4 cup (185 ml) beef broth/stock , low sodium
(important! Note 3)
1/2 cup (125 ml) cream , heavy/thickened
2 - 3 tsp coarsely crushed whole black
peppercorns (or canned green peppercorns,
drained) (Note 4)

Instructions
1 Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes
before planning to cook.
2 Crush the pepper using a rolling pin, mortar and
pestle or the side of a hardy knife.

STEAKS:

1 Just before cooking, sprinkle both sides of steak

generously with salt and black pepper.
2 Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until smoking.
3 Add steaks and cook the first side for 2 minutes
until it has a great crust, then flip and cook the
other side for 2 minutes (for medium rare).
4 Stack the steaks on top of each other, then use
tongs to sear the fat strip.
5 Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil to rest
while you make the sauce.

SAUCE:

1 Add brandy or cognac into the same skillet and

let it simmer rapidly, scraping the bottom of the
pan, until it has mostly reduced and you can no
longer smell the harsh alcohol smell (~1 min).
2 Add broth, bring to simmer and let it simmer
rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes or until it reduces by
half.
3 Turn heat down to medium. Add cream and
pepper, stir, then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes
until it thickens (do not let it boil rapidly).
4 Taste sauce, adjust salt (and pepper!) to taste.
5 Transfer steaks to warmed serving plates. Spoon
over sauce. Serve immediately! Pictured with
Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Garlic Spinach.
(Note 6)

Recipe Notes:
1. Use a decent quality steak for this recipe. If
using a very economical steak, I'd recommend my
steak marinade instead of this recipe - it will
tenderise and infuse with great flavour!

2. If you can't use alcohol, use the recipe in Note 5

and instead of using brandy in step 1, add 1/4 cup
of non alcoholic red wine or water.

3. Do not make this sauce with full salt beef broth.

The sauce will end up too salty because it's
reduced down. If you only have full salt beef
stock, then follow the recipe in Note 5 (in the
same skillet) and use only 1/3 cup of beef broth
and add 1/3 cup of water in place of the beef
broth int he recipe. The extra flavour steps will
compensate for use of less broth.

4. Black peppercorns are spicier which I like for

this recipe. Little pops of heat tempered by the
sweetness and creaminess of the sauce. Canned
green peppercorns are not as spicy and have a
milder flavour.

5. Peppercorn Sauce without pan drippings - If

you make the steaks on the BBQ and still want
this sauce, make the recipe as follows: Melt 1.5
tbsp / 25g butter in a skillet over medium heat,
add 1 tbsp very finely chopped
eschallots/shallots (the small purple onions) and
sauté gently for 1 minute. Then add brandy or
cognac per recipe, increase heat to high. Proceed
with recipe.

6. Garlic Spinach or Silverbeet: Heat olive oil in a

skillet, add garlic, cook for 20 seconds, add
spinach and stir until just starting to wilt. Remove,
set aside, proceed with steak.

7. Nutrition is for sauce only because the

nutrition of steaks varies so significantly, even for
the same cut depending on how thick the fat strip
is etc. The recipe makes about 3/4 cup of sauce
which is enough for 2 steaks - it's rich and fairly
intense flavoured so you don't need tons.

Nutrition Facts
Steak with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 352 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 19g 119%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 187mg 8%
Potassium 224mg 6%
Carbohydrates 1g 0%
Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 875IU 18%

Calcium 39mg 4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie
diet.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
Calories: 352cal (18%) Carbohydrates: 1g
Protein: 2g (4%) Fat: 28g (43%)
Saturated Fat: 19g (119%)
Cholesterol: 81mg (27%) Sodium: 187mg (8%)
Potassium: 224mg (6%) Vitamin A: 875IU (18%)
Calcium: 39mg (4%)

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LIFE OF DOZER
Mandatory post op daily icing involves building
blocks, frozen veg and Dozer with his eyes
closed the whole time – “OMG it’s so cold, it’s
so cold, it’s soooo cooold!!!”

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