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Classic Pepper Sauce

Published: Jun 30, 2020 · Last modified: Jul 21, 2022 by AnotherFoodBlogger

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steak, peppercorn sauce on a plate with manser red
peppercorn sauce being spooned over steak & manser red wine
Rib fillet, pepper sauce, mashed potatoes and cutlery on a table
pepper sauce ingredients and a steak on a board
steak, peppercorn sauce on a plate with manser red
peppercorn sauce being spooned over steak & manser red wine
Rib fillet, pepper sauce, mashed potatoes and cutlery on a table

Classic pepper sauce is on the table this week.  It's a classic sauce for a reason, no matter what it never grows old!  Rich, creamy, bold punchy flavours and a little brandy kick - damn now I wanna whip some up and I only just ate it the other day 😉  Read on, to see how I make mine and what I serve it with (STEAK!)

Rib fillet, pepper sauce, mashed potatoes and cutlery on a table

PEPPER SAUCE INGREDIENTS

Pepper - I use 2 types of pepper in this recipe.  Green peppercorns are chopped up and a good grind of fresh black pepper too.

Brandy - 50ml does the job. Is it "essential"? You can defo make it without BUT the extra kick is worth it.  Just swing around your parents and raid the drinks cabinet if you have none 😉  REMEMBER to burn off the alcohol and watch your eyebrows when doing so!

Beef Stock - about 200ml will do you here to make enough for 4-6 people.  Adds great richness and flavour to the dish.  Can you use veg stock? Yep, but try to stick with beef for the richness & flavour.

Cream - it wouldn't be a creamy pepper sauce without it, would it?  Full fat all the way.

pepper sauce ingredients and a steak on a board

Sour Cream - the slightly tart flavour helps add acidity to the dish and thicken it up too.  For me, classic pepper sauce without it just isn't as good.

Butter - does it need an intro? Everything but your waistline is better with butter 😉

Herbs - thyme is my go-to herb for the recipe but if you don't have any a little sprinkling of dried herbs like oregano or mixed herbs will do the trick!

Garlic - a single clove will do here.  If you are a fan then go ahead and chuck another one in.  Just make sure you crush that baby up.

HOW TO MAKE PEPPERCORN SAUCE

I like to make mine in advance and reheat it.  The reason being is I can sit back, relax, and enjoy a glass (bottle) of wine during the process instead of frantically rushing around the kitchen.  BUT, sometimes I am running late, the kid is being a kid and I need to make the sauce on the fly.  I think that's what is the best part about this sauce is you can have it ready in about 10 minutes.

brandy being flambeed

Option 1 is to have a saucepan on the side and saute the garlic in butter for a minute, flambe the brandy (as shown in pic), reduce it to 1/2 and then add the pepper, herbs, and stock to the saucepan. Cook this for 3-4 minutes and then add the cream and sour cream and cook it on a high simmer for 6 - 8 minutes or reduced to your liking.  All you need to do is reheat it in a saucepan or even the microwave when ready.

Option 2 is basically the same except using the pan you fried the steak in.  The sauce will cook a little quicker here as the frying pan has a wider base so the liquids will reduce quicker.  The benefit of this is less cleaning to do and a little extra juicy steak flavours from the pan.  Disadvantages are you need to be organised so yous steak doesn't go cold and you can't drink as much wine during that period 😉

CAN YOU FREEZE CLASSIC PEPPER SAUCE

Isn't that always the Q with milk or cream-based recipes.  The short answer is yes, you can.  It may split a little when defrosting but once you heat it up (gently) and stir it then it starts to look "normal" again.  Truthfully though unless you make a MASSIVE portion you won't need to!  It will keep safe to eat in the fridge for about 3 days.  Looks like steak twice in one-week #winning

WHAT CAN YOU EAT WITH CLASSIC PEPPER SAUCE?

potatoes in a potato ricer

Steak is the simplest and easiest answer.  A good piece of beef cooked medium-rare and you are SORTED.  But, that's not all that peppercorn sauce works well with.  Simply over some grilled veg like broccolini or carrots.  Slathered over a grilled chicken breast or with some pork tenderloin too.  A fav of mine is over a baked potato, topped with bacon bits and cheese!

WINE PAIRING

The pairing isn't necessarily for the sauce but more the sauce and the steak!  It's hard to pair a wine just with a sauce.  Probably because it's been a while I just ate sauce for dinner 😉

steak, peppercorn sauce on a plate with manser red wine

So the classic pairing with pepper sauce is a juicy steak.  When I cook up a juicy steak I usually look for a nice Aussie shiraz!  Recently I was in South Australia, found TONS of wines & wineries that now take centre stage in my cellar.  In fact, I would probably say two-thirds of my wines are from SA.  With that being said Manser Family Wines were one of the great wines I discovered on my trip.  They don't have a cellar door but a good friend Daniel O'Connell whose uncles and Grandfather are the custodians of the vines got me onto them and I haven't looked back.  Dan has a particular sense of pride in the Block 4 Shiraz as he and the family picked the fruit for the first vintage released in 2016 of this lovely Shiraz after the Manser’s took over custody of the vines.  Rated 96 points from Sam Kim, it defo piqued my interest immediately.  I can see why after having about 5 bottles of the stuff at this stage (not as I write this - although that would make for a fun piece!).

The wine is full-bodied.  It's not for the faint-hearted.  But, I think that's why it works so damn well with the bold flavours of the steak and classic pepper sauce.  Decanting it is defo advisable.  Probably about the same time you take the steak from the fridge to come to temp will do.  You get tons of good black and blue fruit, a nice spiciness, and a little mint on the back palate too.  It's rich, complex, enjoyable and one that'll keep on giving.  Grab yourself a dozen, drink one ASAP to form your opinion, and then cellar a few for 10 years and drink a wine that would/should cost double the current rrp.  You can also grab it along with 11 other stunning reds as part of “The Tasting Panel's Swag of Splendiferousness” pack, while stocks last of course.

OTHER SAUCE RECIPES

Some other classic and "new age" sauce recipes that I LOVE with steak are....

skirt steak, chimichurri & broccolini

Chimichurri by Yours Truly

Mushroom Brandy Sauce by Cynthia McLoud Woodman of 'What A Girl Eats'

Miso Steak Sauce by Yours Truly

Chermoula Sauce by Tania Sheff of 'Cooktoria'

Anchovy Caper Salsa by Yours Truly

Horseradish Butter by Yours Truly

SIDE DISHES TO GO WITH STEAK & CLASSIC PEPPER SAUCE

Crispy Smashed Potatoes by Yours Truly

Thermobextas Potato Bake by Bec Allum of 'Thermobexta'

Grilled Asparagus w/ Lemon & Dukkah by Yours Truly

Artichoke & Potato Sala w/ Creme Fraiche by Phenie Ooi of 'The Devil Wears Salad'

If you like what you see and want more then don't forget to subscribe and/or hit me up on Instagram!!

Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends!!

peppercorn sauce being spooned over steak & manser red wine

Classic Pepper Sauce

A classic is a classic!
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Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Worldwide
Keyword: classic pepper sauce, Pepper sauce, peppercorn sauce, steak & pepper sauce
Calories: 545kcal
Author: AnotherFoodBlogger
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

  • 200 ml beef stock
  • 100 ml heavy cream
  • 50 ml brandy
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 knob butter
  • 1-2 tbsp green peppercorns
  • salt & pepper

Instructions

  • In a saucepan cook the garlic in butter on medium heat - 1 minute
  • Add brandy and flambe, reduce liquid by half - see tips/tricks
  • Add green peppercorns, thyme, stock, salt/pepper and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until reduced
  • Add sour cream & cream and cook on medium heat for 6 - 8 minutes until reduced to your liking. Remove thyme and serve!

Notes

Essential Tricks

  • saucepan
  • wooden spoon
  • measuring utensils

Tips/Tricks

  • to flambe is to light the alcohol on fire. Be VERY careful as it will flame up quickly. Stand back and watch those eyebrows!
  • you can make the sauce without brandy if you don't want the alcohol but it defo adds more flavour
  • dried herbs will work well if you don't have fresh thyme

Nutrition

Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1715IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @another_food_blogger
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dale Branch

    May 21, 2021 at 2:55 pm

    Best pepper sauce getting around, Guilty of claiming as my own.
    Watch your eyebrows with the Brandy flambe ; )

    Reply
    • AnotherFoodBlogger

      May 25, 2021 at 6:57 am

      I'll let you away with it mate 😉

      Reply
  2. Robyn

    July 10, 2020 at 5:58 pm

    5 stars
    I love pepper sauce, and this looks the perfect pairing to a great steak. Yum!

    Reply
    • Libby

      March 31, 2021 at 6:53 pm

      5 stars
      Best ever Pepper Sauce recipe ! My family love a good steak with pepper sauce and this recipe is the BEST!

      Reply
  3. Sarah

    July 09, 2020 at 9:48 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! We love steak and this looks like a great sauce to go with it. Adding ot to next week's meal plan.

    Reply
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