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.
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:
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Cook steak to your taste, then remove and rest while you make the sauce;
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Make sauce: In the same pan, add brandy or cognac, simmer rapidly for 1 minute until the alcohol smell is gone;
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Add beef broth/stock, and simmer rapidly until it reduces by half (intensifies the flavour);
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Stir through cream and crushed peppercorns. Serve over steak!
TIPS:
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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!
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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. 🙂
Try these on the side:
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For a Steakhouse experience – Paris Mash and Garlic Sautéed Spinach
And more great steak sauces:
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A Mushroom Sauce for Steak
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Garlic Thyme Butter Basted Steak – a simple, amazing Cheffy technique for cooking steak
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Mushroom Gravy – use the sauce in this Chicken with Mushroom Gravy
Creamy Peppercorn Sauce for Steak
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Steak with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
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
- Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before planning to cook.
- Crush the pepper using a rolling pin, mortar and pestle or the side of a hardy knife.
Steaks:
- Just before cooking, sprinkle both sides of steak generously with salt and black pepper.
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until smoking.
- 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).
- Stack the steaks on top of each other, then use tongs to sear the fat strip.
- Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil to rest while you make the sauce.
Sauce:
- 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).
- Add broth, bring to simmer and let it simmer rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes or until it reduces by half.
- 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).
- Taste sauce, adjust salt (and pepper!) to taste.
- Transfer steaks to warmed serving plates. Spoon over sauce. Serve immediately! Pictured with Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Garlic Spinach. (Note 6)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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!!!”
Michael Baransky says
Can someone recommend a brand of Brandy or Cognac. There are so many varieties and flavors… Tried Grand Marnier, which is a cognac, but it didnt seem to fit the flavor…
Tiffanie says
I tried the Hennessy for cognac, it was perfect đź‘Ś
michelle says
Hi Nagi
I loved the Creamy Peppercorn Sauce. Thank you and please keep posting more recipes. 5/5.
Scott says
Made this last night. Wow!!! It was perfect!! Didn’t have low sodium broth and it was too salty. Next time low sodium broth like it calls for and it will be perfection!!
Stu (not Stuart) says
Just tried this with a set of thick Filet mignons (1.5-2″). Seared per instructions, then cooked at 400F for 7 min (they came out rare side of medium rare. I could not find the pepper mentions, so used one of those grinder/shaker things with “pepper medley” on course, only did about 1.5 tsps as my daughter has pepper fear. Tasted great but sause was very watery (I think I didn’t boil down the broth enough before adding cream) – Was AWESOME. Thanks so much!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Stu!!
Melanie K L says
Just bought porterhouse steaks … Gong to try this; can’t wait!
Linda Lee says
I assume you can make this with roast? If so, what roast would you recommend and what cooking method (baking or crock pot)?
Rehman says
Can I make peppercorn sauce in advance.
Stuart says
I’m always on the look out for good peppercorn sauce recipes. Thinking on trying this later. One fairly amateur question though. What do you use for the broth? In the UK we tend to use stocks (not sure if that’s the same thing). Often we’ll dissolve a stock cube or stock pot into about 500ml of water. Would you reduce that down to 185ml or use 185ml of the original 500ml? Or do you use something different entirely?
Thanks 🙂
Nagi Maehashi says
Hi Stuart, yes stock/broth is the same thing. I’d just make up 185ml of stock or if it’s easier to make the full 500ml, use what you need and freeze the rest for later!
Stuart says
Thanks Nagi!
I think the ones I have suggest dissolving into 500ml water. So I guess I’ll just use 185ml of that? I thought about dissolving the whole cube into 185ml of water but I think that’ll be too strong?
Nagi Maehashi says
Yes that will be too salty, I would just make up 500ml and freeze what you don’t use 🙂
Anna says
It’s my husband’s new favorite dish! I used one whole can of beef consumme instead of broth and let it reduce. He loves it!! Thanks for the recipe!
Elouise says
Can someone please tell me the name of the song in the video?! Also great sauce we added a touch of French mustard for sweetness
Adi Pillai says
Hi Nagi!
LOVED this sauce. My fave steakhouse in Melbourne (station hotel in footscray) does an amazing peppercorn sauce and this rivaled it.
My only note (and I’m sure it was obvious to everyone else haha) was that I passed the sauce through a sieve after it was ready – otherwise I had too many peppercorn bits in the sauce and made the texture a bit weird.
Also I (stupidly) used eye fillet for this – no pan juices. Lesson learned for next time. Can’t wait to make it again.
Thanks for your wonderful recipe!
Ps Hi Dozer!
Nagi says
Hi Adi! Glad you were able to adjust this to your taste! And thanks for the reminder re: eye fillet, I will add a note about this! (I use loads of butter when I cook eye fillet 🙂 ) N x
Adi says
Update – I cooked this again with porterhouse and used some shallots as well. Mind BLOWN.
Ann says
Thank you so much, Ms. Nagi! I just found your website this evening as I was looking for a ‘smash potato’ recipe. I made them straight away; they were fantastic!
Considering the success of the potatoes, I decided to browse your recipe index. I am blown away with all of the fantastic options, and looking forward to trying them all. However, this recipe is the next on my list.
When I was a little girl I was allowed to choose anything I’d like to eat for my birthday dinner. Every year I selected the same thing; steak with a creamy peppercorn sauce, macaroni and cheese, and spinach. My father’s peppercorn sauce used whisky in place of the cognac, but that’s the only alteration I’ll make. My birthday is just over a week away, and now I’m looking forward to ushering in my 30th year with your steak and macaroni and cheese. Thank you for the fond memories of yesterday, and tomorrow. God bless you, your loved ones, and this website. <3
Nagi says
An early HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you Ann!! I love hearing your birthday food choices – YUM!!!
Darren says
Should I pour away the oil leftover from cooking the steak before I start making the sauce?
My sauce is too watery for some reason, I followed the recipe exactly but halved the amount since it was for one steak. Is it ok to continue simmering the sauce until it is creamy enough? Will the steak be overcooked? Or can I make the sauce first instead?
Phyllis says
I love this dish; an old favorite I’ve made many times. The calorie content listed on the nutrition information seems off.
Nagi says
Hi Phyllis! I’ll have a look at it now – thanks for noting that! N x
Sarah says
Omg. Put the brandy in and whoosh. Fire ball. Dogs went berserk. Made me laugh. Husband thought I was burning the house down
Nagi says
Woah! Glad you were level headed about it!!! Miss the skillet?? Yes brandy will catch on fire!!!
Madi says
Hi Nagi! Can I substitute the brandy/cognac with red wine?
Thanks!
Madi
Nagi says
Hi Madi! Not for this one, sorry! You’d need a lot more red wine to make a red wine sauce. Will post one soon! N x
Yvonne says
Hi Nagi. How long should I cook the steak if I would like it to be medium instead of medium rare? Thanks!
Kaye Harding says
Nagi this recipe is absolutely yummy. My husband and daughter even commented about how lovely this meal was. Thank you for this recipe.
Tracy says
Made this tonight! Wow, it was delicious, excellent recipe.
Nagi says
That’s so great to hear Tracy! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N x
Tanesha says
Hi Nagi,
Thank you so much for all the incredible recipes over the years… Your blog has been my go to for a while now.
Today, something else in addition to the recipe has caught my attention…the song….what is the name of this song??
Nagi says
Hi Tanesha! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes, thank you! I will try to dig out the video file to find out the name of the song 🙂 It’s just a stock song I purchased!