Sauce
Cognac Peppercorn Cream Sauce
A luxurious French-style steak sauce with cracked peppercorns, Cognac, reduced beef stock and cream, finished with Dijon mustard and cold butter for a silky restaurant-quality texture.
- Prep
- 10 minutes
- Cook
- 25 minutes
- Total
- 35 minutes
- Yield
- About 1 1/2 cups
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Ingredients
Cognac Peppercorn Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns (Coarsely crushed; use 2 teaspoons for a milder sauce)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (For sautéing)
- 1 large shallot (Very finely minced, about 1/4 cup)
- 1/3 cup Cognac (Use a drinkable VS or VSOP Cognac)
- 3/4 cup unsalted beef stock (Preferably homemade or high-quality refrigerated stock)
- 1 cup heavy cream (Do not substitute milk)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (Smooth Dijon, not whole-grain mustard)
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (Optional, for additional savory depth)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (Cold and cut into small pieces, for finishing)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Plus more to taste; reduce or omit if using salted pan drippings)
Instructions
Prepare the Sauce Base
Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or place them in a heavy resealable bag and press firmly with the bottom of a small skillet. They should be cracked into irregular pieces, not ground into powder.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch stainless-steel skillet or small heavy saucepan over medium heat. If making the sauce after cooking steaks, use the steak skillet and retain approximately 1 tablespoon of browned drippings, pouring off any excess fat.
Add the crushed peppercorns and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add the shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent without browning.
Reduce the Cognac and Stock
Remove the pan from the heat before adding the Cognac. Pour it in carefully, return the pan to medium heat and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. There is no need to ignite the Cognac. Keep the bottle away from the burner.
Simmer the Cognac for 3–5 minutes, until reduced to approximately 2 tablespoons and the sharp alcohol aroma has softened. Do not let the pan cook completely dry.
Add the beef stock and bring to a lively simmer. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced by approximately half.
Finish the Cream Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream. Simmer gently for 6–9 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean path. Do not allow it to boil aggressively.
Whisk in the Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, if using. Taste the sauce before adding salt, especially if it was prepared with steak drippings.
Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the cold butter a few pieces at a time until fully incorporated and glossy. If the sauce is thicker than desired, whisk in warm beef stock 1 tablespoon at a time.
Serve immediately, spooning approximately 3–4 tablespoons over each steak. The finished sauce should flow slowly from a spoon rather than sit like gravy.
Notes
This sauce is a French-inspired version of sauce au poivre. Its character comes from freshly cracked whole peppercorns, Cognac and a properly reduced stock-and-cream base. Pre-ground pepper does not provide the same aromatic flavor and can make the sauce taste dusty or harsh.
The sauce is especially good with filet mignon, ribeye, New York strip, beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin or seared venison. It may be prepared in the pan used to cook the meat or made independently in a clean saucepan.
Cognac does not need to be expensive, but it should be pleasant enough to drink. A VS or VSOP Cognac is appropriate. Avoid flavored brandies.
For the best texture, reduce the liquid before adding the cream and finish the sauce with cold butter after removing it from the heat.
Substitutions
Armagnac or a good-quality French brandy may replace the Cognac in equal measure. Bourbon can be used for a different, slightly sweeter flavor, although the result will no longer be a traditional French-style peppercorn sauce.
Green peppercorns in brine may replace half of the black peppercorns. Drain and lightly crush 1 tablespoon green peppercorns, adding them with the cream rather than toasting them at the beginning.
Rich unsalted chicken stock may replace beef stock when serving the sauce with pork or poultry.
For a lighter but still stable sauce, replace up to 1/4 cup of the heavy cream with half-and-half. Do not replace all the cream with milk or half-and-half.
For strict gluten-free preparation, verify that the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, stock and Cognac are certified or labeled gluten-free.
Variations
Green Peppercorn Cognac Sauce:
Replace half the black peppercorns with 1 tablespoon drained green peppercorns in brine. Add the green peppercorns with the cream.
Mushroom Cognac Peppercorn Sauce:
Brown 8 ounces of thinly sliced cremini mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter before cooking the shallot. Remove the mushrooms, prepare the sauce and return them when the cream is added.
Blue Cheese Peppercorn Sauce:
After removing the finished sauce from the heat, whisk in 2 ounces of crumbled blue cheese before adding the cold butter.
Herbed Peppercorn Sauce:
Add 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme with the shallot and finish with 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Storage
Cool the sauce promptly and refrigerate it in a covered airtight container within two hours. Store for up to three days.
Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce may separate and become grainy when thawed.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Add 1–2 tablespoons of beef stock or cream if the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator.
Do not boil the reheated sauce. Once warm, remove it from the heat and whisk in a small piece of cold butter if needed to restore its gloss.
Troubleshooting
The sauce is too thin:
Continue simmering gently before adding the finishing butter. It should coat the back of a spoon.
The sauce is too thick:
Whisk in warm beef stock 1 tablespoon at a time until it flows slowly from a spoon.
The sauce tastes strongly of alcohol:
The Cognac was not reduced sufficiently. Simmer it until only a few tablespoons remain before adding the stock.
The sauce separated:
It was boiled too aggressively or the finishing butter was added over high heat. Remove it from the heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon of warm cream.
The pepper flavor is harsh:
The peppercorns were ground too finely, scorched or used too heavily. Coarsely crack them and toast them for only 30 seconds.
The sauce is too salty:
Use unsalted stock and taste only after the reduction is complete. Dilute an overly salty sauce with additional unsalted cream.