This creamy peppercorn sauce has a spicy bite from black peppercorns and deep, fragrant flavors from garlic and shallot. It gets finished off with the smokey flavor of brandy and goes wonderfully with steak.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time8 minutesmins
Total Time18 minutesmins
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamy sauce for steak, peppercorn sauce, peppercorn steak sauce
1tablespoonwhole black peppercornscoarsely crushed
1smallshallotfinely minced
1clovegarlicfinely minced
½cupbrandy
¾cupbeef broth
⅔cupheavy cream
⅛teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crushed peppercorns and shallot. Cook for 2 minutes until the shallot is soft and light golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Pour in the brandy and let it simmer for about 1 minute. (see notes)
Pour in the broth and simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes or until reduced by about half.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cream, and salt. Cook for about 3 minutes while stirring. Don’t let the mixture boil.
Video
Notes
You can make this sauce ahead of time before you cook your steak but it will taste even better if you make it after you cook the steak and use the same pan to make the sauce.
To do that, sear the meat in the pan before you make the sauce. When you finish searing the meat, set it aside and deglaze the pan with the butter. All the juices and fond from the meat will blend in with the peppercorn sauce and give it so much flavor.
If you have an open flame (such as gas or propane) on your stove then remove the skillet from the flame before you add the brandy or any alcohol. Return it to the stove after the alcohol is added to the skillet.