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Peppercorn Steak

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Prep Time
8m
Cook Time
25m
Total Time
33m
This flavorful Peppercorn Steak is made with tender, well-seasoned steaks coated in cracked black peppercorns, then seared to perfection. The rich and creamy cognac sauce, made with shallots, beef broth, and heavy cream, adds a luxurious finish to this classic dish.
Peppercorn Steak Image
Recipe Options

Ingredients

Servings: 6
Scale:
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Steps

1
Salt the steaks and let them sit at room temp: Sprinkle salt generously over both sides of the steaks and let them come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
2
Sear the steaks: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. (Use a pan that can handle high heat. Cast iron works well for this, or hard anodized aluminum.) When the oil begins to smoke, take the pan off the heat. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels (steaks brown better if they are patted dry first) and place in the hot pan. Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat down to medium-high. Sear, without moving the steaks, for at least 4 minutes. Try to pick up a steak with tongs, and if it comes clean, flip it and turn the heat down to medium. If it sticks to the pan, let it cook for another minute or two on that side. For this recipe, we sear on one side on high heat, and cook on lower heat on the other side. This way you get great flavor from the seared side, and better control over how done you want your steak by cooking the other side more slowly.
3
Remove the steaks, then sprinkle with crushed peppercorns: Use the finger test for doneness or a meat thermometer. For rare, remove the meat from the pan when the inside reaches 120°F, for medium rare 125 to 130°F, for medium 140°F, and medium well 155°F. Once the steak is done to your liking remove the meat to a baking sheet and sprinkle on a generous portion of crushed black peppercorns on both sides of each steak. Tent with aluminum foil and let the steak rest while you are preparing the sauce.
4
Make the sauce: Add the shallots to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the brandy and as it boils, deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (helps to have one with a straight edge) to dislodge all the browned bits. Once the brandy is almost cooked away, add the beef stock and turn the heat to high. Boil the sauce down until there's a noticeable trail when you drag a wooden spoon through the center of it (4 to 5 minutes). Pour in the heavy cream and resume boiling. Again, boil down until you can make that telltale trail from the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and add the parsley and any remaining black pepper (no more than 1 tablespoon, the rest should have already been used to pepper the steaks). Taste for salt and add if needed.
5
Serve: Pour the sauce over the steaks right when you serve. Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories
    646kcal
    32%
  • Fat
    47g
    2%
  • Saturated Fat
    18g
    0%
  • Carbohydrates
    3g
    0%
  • Fiber
    0g
    0%
  • Sugar
    0g
    0%
  • Protein
    34g
    1%
  • Cholesterol
    138mg
    6%
  • Sodium
    424mg
    21%
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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