Steak with Peppercorn Sauce

This steak with peppercorn sauce recipe is a fantastic “fancy dinner idea” that’s a cinch to prepare. You’ll sear the beef on both sides, then allow it to rest, and whip up the easy peppercorn sauce, which comes together in minutes.

Peppercorn sauce pairs beautifully with steak. The tender, juicy beef, mixed with the decadent peppercorn sauce flavored with cognac and caramelized shallots, makes this a sophisticated main course for entertaining or a holiday meal.

This recipe is made even better when paired with a potato side dish such as my Gratin Dauphinois, which you can make the day before, bake, and then reheat. For a truly French finish, try my Profiteroles or my French Apple Cake for dessert.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil: To sear the beef at a high temperature, you will want a non-flavored oil with a high smoke point. You can also use coconut oil.
• Unsalted Butter: You’ll add it to the beef drippings and saute the shallots in it.
• Steak: For this recipe, I think there’s nothing more elegant for a special occasion than filet mignon. But you can really use any cut of steak you like, such as ribeye or New York strip. For a more affordable option, you can also pair peppercorn sauce with boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper: These are to taste. I would go easy on the cracked pepper since the sauce is fairly peppery!
• Shallots: The shallots give the sauce a lovely texture and additional flavor. Be sure to dice them small so your sauce isn’t too chunky. I prefer shallots over onions because they are sweeter in flavor, but if onions are all you have, you can use them instead.
• Cognac: A little cognac adds a wonderful, slightly sweet flavor to the sauce. You can also substitute it for brandy, or if you don’t drink, you can leave it out entirely and proceed directly to adding the beef stock.
• Beef Stock: Look for beef stock over beef broth; it will provide more flavor to the sauce.
• Heavy Cream: To provide a luxurious texture and make your peppercorn sauce more creamy.
• Dijon Mustard: Just a teaspoon to give your sauce a little tang and depth of flavor.
• Green Peppercorns: These are usually found in the spice aisle since they are technically under-ripe black peppercorns. They come in a small jar, packed in brine, which you will want to rinse off before using. Their flavor is peppery, but a lot more subtle than that of a black peppercorn. I would not substitute black peppercorns for green peppercorns. Ingesting green peppercorns is not the same as ingesting whole black peppercorns! Green peppercorns may look like capers, but they are different. Capers are briny and pungent and better suited for seafood dishes.
• Cornstarch: I like a thick and creamy sauce, so I add a little cornstarch slurry at the end of the sauce preparation to thicken it up.
• Very Cold Water: You’ll need this to make the cornstarch slurry. The water must be very cold; otherwise, the slurry will not activate.
• Fresh Italian Parsley: For garnish. Once the steak is plated and the sauce is spooned on top, a little bit of fresh parsley sprinkled on top is a nice touch.

Step#1: Searing the Steak

• For this recipe, you can choose whichever cut of steak you prefer.
• I love to use a filet mignon or chateaubriand cut for an elegant main dish for a special occasion.
• Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before searing to allow them to come up to room temperature. They will cook evenly that way. Season the steak on both sides and place it in a very hot skillet on medium-high heat.
• You’ll want to use vegetable or coconut oil for searing the beef. Both oils have a high smoke point, allowing for a nice sear at a high temperature.
• Cook the steak until medium rare, then set aside to rest while you make the sauce. The steak will release its juices on the plate while it rests, which you will want to pour into the sauce once it’s made. Also, do not wash out the skillet! The steak drippings left in the pan will add even more flavor to your sauce.

What is the 3 3 3 Method for Cooking Steak?

This is also known as the rule of threes for cooking steak. The method involves searing your steak for 3 minutes on each side on medium-high heat, then another 3 minutes on indirect heat. This can mean the side of the barbecue that is not lit if grilling steak, or with the cooktop off, allowing the steak to continue to cook from the residual heat left in the pan. This method will create perfect medium-rare doneness.

Step#2: Sauté the Shallots

• Add the butter to the pan and allow it to turn foamy.
• Then add the diced shallots and saute them in the beef drippings on medium heat until they have absorbed the fat and become translucent. They will also become very fragrant.
• Then, add the cognac and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon while allowing the alcohol to cook off and the sauce to reduce slightly.

Step #3: Finishing the Sauce

• Once the cognac has been reduced, add the beef broth, heavy cream, and mustard. Whisk this mixture until it is combined and smooth.
• Then you’ll add the green peppercorns.
• Be sure to rinse the peppercorns before adding them to the sauce. They are stored in brine, and you should rinse that off to your sauce doesn’t have a “briny taste” but rather retains a peppery peppercorn taste.

Step#4: Thickening the Peppercorn Sauce

• Allow the sauce to simmer until slightly thickened, then thicken it with a cornstarch slurry to give it a luxurious texture.
• A cornstarch slurry is an equal amount of cornstarch and very cold water. Whisk it together until combined.
• Then, increase the heat on the sauce until it is gently boiling, then slowly add the cornstarch slurry while whisking until the sauce is thickened.
• Leave the sauce on a low simmer to keep warm while you plate the steaks.
• Then spoon 2-3 tablespoons of sauce over each steak.