Swich | Recipes - Beef Tenderloin w/ Peppercorn Sauce | Steak au
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Beef Tenderloin w/ Peppercorn Sauce | Steak au Poivre

This beef tenderloin is served with a rich and elegant peppercorn sauce. You’ll practice pan-searing steaks to the right doneness and learn the flambé technique to create a flavorful pan sauce.

Serves 1 | Active Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves 1 | Active Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Chef's Notes

Beef Tenderloin may seem challenging to make, in fact, it is quite easy. Rather then going out for dinner why not bring the restaurant home to you.

Rather than using beef tenderloin, you could also use New York strip loin or rib-eye steaks. Remember to bring the steaks to room temperature before you begin cooking them.

Cooking the Steaks

Take your steaks out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you are ready to start cooking. The meat is best cooked at room temperature.

Set your oven to warm.

Lightly coat the steaks with coarsely crushed peppercorns and grey salt to taste.

Heat a large, stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat and then add the oil and butter. Place the steaks into the hot pan and then turn the heat down to medium. Let the steaks cook, about 2 to 5 minutes per side, depending on how you like your steak cooked.

When the steaks are done, pour the brandy over the meat and VERY carefully flambé. The flame will potentially be rather large, so make sure to stand back.

SAFETY NOTE: when using spirits that have a high alcohol content, such as brandy, it should never be added directly from the bottle. The flame from the pan can enter the bottle and cause it to explode. And MAKE SURE TO STAND BACK before adding the alcohol. The flame can be quite high.

For safety reasons, the alcohol should be added away from the heat source or with the flame off. Then turn the heat to high and carefully tilt the pan a bit to ignite the alcohol. A gas lighter can also be used to do this.

Once done, remove the steaks from the pan and allow to rest for a few minutes.

Step 1: Cooking the Steaks
  • four 4-6 oz beef tenderloin steaks
  • 1/8 cup whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp grey salt
  • 1/4 cup brandy

Making the Sauce

While the steaks are resting, make the sauce.

Finely chop the shallots and add them to the same pan. Sauté for a minute or so before deglazing the pan with the reduced chicken stock. Pour the juices from the resting meat into the pan. Let reduce and allow the sauce to thicken slightly.

To finish the sauce, add the cream and let reduce by about half. Season to taste. Once ready, pour the peppercorn sauce over the steaks and enjoy.

Step 2: Making the Sauce
  • 2 small shallots
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 cups reduced dark chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

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