Steak with Peppercorn Sauce
Ingredients
For the steak
2 striploin steak, 4 cm thick
Sea salt, to taste
2 tbsp neutral oil or beef tallow
30 g Butter for basting
Small bunch of thyme & rosemary
2 cloves of garlic
For the peppercorn sauce
85ml brandy
1 shallot, finely diced
250 ml beef stock
2 tbsps Sour cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsps fresh green peppercorn
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
To serve
Frozen fries
Oil, for frying
Sea salt, to taste
Parsley, finely sliced
Method
1. Prepare the steak
Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt.
2. Pan-sear the steak
Heat the neutral oil or tallow in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the steak and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Use tongs to hold the fatty edge against the pan for 1-2 minutes to render the fat.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, turning every minute. At the last minute, add fresh herbs and garlic to the pan along with butter. Baste the steaks until the steak reaches your preferred doneness. A 4 cm-thick steaks may take approximately 6-8 minutes in total, depending on its size and starting temperature. Use a meat thermometer to check the centre.
3. Rest the steak
Transfer the steak to a plate, loosely cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
4. Cook the fries
Meanwhile, cook the frozen fries according to the packet instructions. If deep-frying, use a separate deep saucepan and fry in batches. Drain well and season with salt.
5. Make the sauce base
remove herbs and garlic. Add the shallot and cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until softened.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy. Return to the heat (you can flambé for the clean taste of finishing sauce) and simmer gently, scraping up the golden bits from the base, until the brandy has reduced by about two-thirds.
6. Finish the peppercorn sauce
Add the beef stock and simmer until reduced by about half. Stir in the sour cream, Dijon mustard, fresh pepper and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the steak’s resting juices, then taste and season with salt and extra pepper as needed.