Brandy Peppercorn Sauce

Peppercorn Sauce Ingredients

• Shallots
• Butter – we always use unsalted butter
• Brandy or cognac – see our notes below
• GirlCarnivore Oooomami, my umami mushroom powder or your favorite mushroom powdered. Worcestershire sauce is another great way to add umami if you don’t have mushroom powder.
• Sprigs Tarragon, thyme, or rosemary
• Black Peppercorns or thick-grain crushed black pepper. We like to use a mix of whole peppercorns and crushed peppercorns to add texture and flavor. You can grind these in a traditional mortar and pestle for a rustic mix of thicker crushed peppercorns. We don’t recommend a spice grinder as it can quickly make the pepper too fine.
• Beef stock – bone broth or beef broth also work.
• Heavy cream  

How to Make Peppercorn Sauce

• Add the butter to a large cast iron skillet preheated over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots and saute until translucent.
• Deglaze with a splash of brandy by carefully pouring in a little. The cool liquid hitting the hot pan will instantly bubble, steam, and boil rapidly, so use caution. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan (see our suggestion above about using a pan that just cooked a steak in it for even more flavor). Then, allow the liquor to simmer and reduce by half.
• Then reduce the heat to medium high and slowly add in the beef stock, fresh tarragon, and peppercorns; whisk to combine.
• Simmer for another 3-5 minutes before removing the pan from the heat and slowly adding in the cream.  
• Next, return to medium-low heat and simmer until the peppercorn sauce thickens and has reduced by half, which will take another 3 to 5 minutes.  
• Finally, remove the tarragon stems and season with salt to taste. If you want a fresh color, add a little fresh minced tarragon at the end before serving.

Expert Recipe Tips

We use brandy in this peppercorn sauce recipe, but bourbon, cognac, or whiskey will also work. The liquor does cook out, leaving a subtle unique flavor from the brandy. However, adding extra beef broth or stock will work if you are opposed to using spirits in your cooking.

Really want to take this recipe up a notch? Add sauteed portobello mushrooms to this delicious sauce just at the end before spooning over the steaks.

We use tarragon for a subtle herb flavor to emphasize our favorite steaks, but rosemary and thyme will both work in this recipe. Just keep in mind rosemary is a stronger, more pungent herb.

Leftovers and Storage

Refrigerator: You can store this sauce in the refrigerator for up to three days in an air-tight container, but if you don’t use it by then, we recommend discarding it. Simply allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and reheat it in a small frying pan over low heat before serving.
We do not recommend freezing this sauce for later.

What Does Peppercorn Sauce Taste Like?

Brandy Peppercorn Sauce will have a mild taste of pepper from the whole peppercorns that’s cut and mellowed by the smooth rich sauce. This creamy peppercorn sauce recipe has a hint of brandy and is made even richer by simmering beef stock, Oooomami mushroom powdered to accentuate the deep umami flavor, and tarragon.