One of my favourite steak sauces – a creamy Peppercorn Sauce made with brandy or cognac, beef broth/stock, cream and plenty of crushed peppercorns. The creamy pepper sauce with juicy steak is a match made in heaven and calls for just 4 ingredients. 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. It’s the same sauce used in Steak au Poivre, a French classic, except the steak is not crusted with cracked peppercorns so there is more in the sauce. This recipe is more straightforward because you don’t have to worry about burning cracked peppercorns when searing the steak or finishing the steak in the oven to avoid that problem.
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. 🙂
Try these on the side:
For a Steakhouse experience – Paris Mash and Garlic Sautéed Spinach
And more great steak sauces:
A Mushroom Sauce for Steak
Garlic Thyme Butter Basted Steak – a simple, amazing Cheffy technique for cooking steak
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 knee-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!!!” (Update: Happy to report he made a full recovery and was bounding around like a loon within weeks!)
Super simple but bang on for a fantastic peppercorn sauce just like in restaurants
Oh my God…. will never buy another pack sauce ever again thank you for this diamond recipe….. It gives restaurant flavour and body, here in England used double cream and just over a 1/3 of OXO cube… foe a covid pandemic birthday and had he best meal ever.. Thank You!!
Wahoo!!! I’m so glad you loved it Peter!! N x
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I used marsala wine on the sauce and it turned out great. The sauce is a little thin but it taste delicious. I just want to find out if I can freeze the left over sauce.
I made this sauce tonight. I used medium sherry as the alcohol as I mysteriously couldn’t find my cooking brandy. I also added a bit (maybe a tablespoon) of flour to the pan and cooked it in. This made the sauce thicker. I used green peppercorns.
I had my son helping out. Always good to have my own professionally trained sous chef in my kitchen. Makes prep easy.
Just great. Simple and the Smashed Potatoes were a perfect accompanient!
This was wonderful. My sauce came out thin, but that’s easily fixed with a cornstarch slurry. My steaks took quite a bit longer than two minutes per side to cook, just FYI. I just used a meat thermometer and kept them on the pan until they reached the correct temperature. I served the steaks with Nagi’s smashed potatoes. It was a delicious meal!
This sauce is amazing!! Like so delicious!! I do prefer it a little bit thicker though so added about a tablespoon of corn starch to it 🤤
If using Marsala would you use Dry or Sweet???
Hi Kaiza, I prefer dry here 🙂 N x
I didn’t have any alcohol to add – so I added Worcestershire sauce and a bit of mustard. It was delish. But I am no cook…
Do you really use 15 TBSP of butter for non-pan drippings sauce? I want to make my son this sauce for his steak at my birthday dinner Friday, but I am planning to bbq the steaks. 15 TBSP seems to be a lot of butter!!! please advise!
Hi Marie – you’re missing the point there “Melt 1.5 tbsp / 25g butter” so that’s 1 and a half tablespoons (not 15) 🙂 N x
Made this tonight for dinner. Was pretty excited but I found the sauce salty enough but just a little bland. Not sure why. I added a tad of “Better than Boublion” and it helped. Followed everything to a T. Maybe I’m not a peppercorn sauce gal. My hubby enjoyed it.
And please be careful to reduce your pan to a low when adding the brandy. It caused the biggest fire I’ve ever seen in my kitchen…pretty scary!
Thank you for mentioning this. I was just watching Gordon Ramsay add Brandy to a pan and it caught fire. Very scary!!
I’m surprised no one mentions this risk and how to add the alcohol safely. Really puts me off making this dish. I’ve already had one house fire!
I don’t have brandy or cognac, could I use whisky?
Hello, I am planning on using this sauce for a beef wellington NYE. Can this sauce be made ahead of time? If so, any tips on how to keep and reheat? Thanks!
Hey! I couldn’t find cream at the store so I bought half and half. Can I substitute the cream for this? And what further instructions do I have to take?
Hey! I love this sauce and have used it many times before, however I was wondering whether I could serve this with a lamb fillet as well? Like cook the lamb and make the sauce in that pan, and then put the lamb back in, instead of serving it along side? Would love some advice!
Yes 100% Tejas, this sauce is fantastic on any protein! N x
What kind of beef broth and cream are you using?
I’m cooking this tomorrow and would love to have your guidance.
Hi Ricky, low sodium beef broth and thickened cream here 🙂 N x
What kind of cream? Like a brand please
I’d say any whipping cream would be best
Very tasty sauce, and easy to make. You can thicken the sauce and make it even richer by adding butter at the end, if you’re feeling extra 🙂
Hi Nagi. Making this tomorrow night for my husbands steak. I’m making your mushroom sauce for myself and we are cooking for a friend who wants a Diane sauce. Do you have a recipe or recommendation please?
Hi Noelene, I don’t have a recipe for diane sauce just yet – feel free to pop a request on my recipe request page through, I have a long list I’m working through. N x
Honestly, one of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten.
Woah, what a compliment, thanks so much Katie! N x
Hi can I use beef cubes instead of broth as I cannot seem to find a suitable for vegetarians beef broth anywhere i can only find the cubes if I can use cubes how many do I put in the sauce I also do not drink alcohol I will add water to the sauce as mentioned thank you