Peppercorn Sauce
This sauce came together in honor of a very special person’s birthday, my Stepfather, Pat.
‘Stepfather’…it’s such an impersonal title, isn’t it? How about ‘bonus-father’? Yah, I like that one.
Pat…he loves and appreciates good food….especially beef…which was his request for dinner and we were very happy to oblige.
So to make it extra special, I made this Peppercorn Sauce and it’s to-die-for! It took a while to reduce, about 35 minutes, and at first I was a little worried it wouldn’t thicken. But as it did, the flavors melded into one beautiful silky sauce. It’s not a light sauce by any means, we’re talking bacon and cream! But you only need a very small amount…it’s about flavor….beefy, bacony, creamy flavor and everyone loved it. There wasn’t a drop left.
Mr. Spinner and I have made it three times since, most recently on a filet….so very good!
I list the option for Red Onion or Shallot…I’ve made this with both, given what I had on hand…equally good.
Be sure to cut the bacon small enough so it pours easily with the sauce.
Also, this isn’t a gravy so you don’t want it to be thick….it’s a sauce. It should just coat the back of a spoon with silky texture.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices regular sliced smoked bacon cut in 1/4″ pieces (lardons) (Don’t use thick cut)
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion or Shallots
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns, ground course but not too big of pieces (no-one wants a big piece of peppercorn in their sauce)
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
In a medium skillet fry the bacon lardons until crisp. Remove to paper towel, you should have 1- 2 Tbsp bacon grease left. In the same pan over medium heat add shallots or red onion and cook 1-2 minutes. Add ground peppercorns and garlic and cook additional 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the beef broth, allow to simmer on medium 5 min. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly whisk in heavy cream. Allow to simmer for 25-40 minutes, whisking often…until thickened to a sauce consistency. Turn off heat and add 2 Tbsp butter, whisking to combine. This makes it extra silky. Taste for seasoning. Add the bacon back in. Serve over beef filet or other steak – you only need about a Tbsp for each person. This recipe served 6 guests.
Can be made ahead too. Keep in refrigerator and heat before serving. You will lose a bit of the thickness, but the flavor remains and is still delicious.
