Classic Steakhouse Peppercorn Sauce: Creamy and Quick
Make a rich, restaurant-quality peppercorn sauce at home. This creamy sauce uses simple ingredients and is perfect for steak, chicken, or roast beef.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 1/4 cup brandy or cognac (optional, for deglazing)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the crushed black peppercorns to the saucepan. 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.
- Pour in the beef stock. 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.
- Stir in the heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to simmer gently until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil rapidly.
- Taste the sauce and add salt as needed. Serve immediately over your favorite steak or protein.
Notes
- For a green peppercorn sauce, substitute half of the black peppercorns with drained green peppercorns packed in brine. Rinse the green peppercorns before using.
- If you skip the brandy, add a splash of extra beef stock or water when deglazing the pan to scrape up the fond.
- This sauce works well over roasted vegetables or as a savory pan sauce for chicken breasts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 17
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 60