Ultimate Creamy Peppercorn Sauce for Steak Night
Make restaurant-quality peppercorn sauce at home. This rich, savory cream sauce is the perfect accompaniment for your steak or chicken.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 1/4 cup brandy or cognac (Optional: substitute with 1/4 cup beef stock + 1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder)
- 1 cup good quality beef stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Do not let the shallots brown.
- Add the crushed black peppercorns to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until fragrant.
- If using alcohol, carefully pour in the brandy or cognac. Let it simmer and reduce by half, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This takes about 2 minutes. (If omitting alcohol, skip this step and proceed to the next.)
- Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook until the liquid has reduced by about one-third, concentrating the flavor. This takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and salt. Allow the sauce to gently heat through for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens slightly. Do not let it boil once the cream is added.
- Taste the sauce and adjust salt if needed. If you prefer a thicker sauce, simmer for a few extra minutes. If you used green peppercorns, they will be soft now.
- Serve this elegant dinner sauce immediately over your seared steak or chicken.
Notes
- For a green peppercorn sauce variation, substitute half of the black peppercorns with drained green peppercorns packed in brine. Add the green peppercorns along with the cream in step 4.
- To achieve a restaurant-style, velvety texture, you can whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of cold water after adding the cream, simmering until thickened.
- If you are making this sauce after searing a steak, use the pan drippings left in your skillet instead of starting with fresh butter to boost the beef pan sauce flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 17
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 60