Beef Tenderloin with Peppercorn (Printable)

Tender beef fillets seared and served with a rich and creamy peppercorn sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 4 beef tenderloin steaks (6 oz each, 1.5 inches thick)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Peppercorn Cream Sauce

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 2 shallots, finely minced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons green peppercorns in brine, drained (or 1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns)
09 - ½ cup brandy or cognac
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
13 - Salt, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Remove beef tenderloin steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to temper. Pat steaks dry thoroughly and season both sides generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness. Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest.
03 - In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add butter and minced shallots; sauté for 2 minutes until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and peppercorns; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
04 - Remove skillet from heat source and carefully add brandy to prevent flare-ups. Return to heat and simmer, scraping up browned bits from the pan bottom, until liquid reduces by half (approximately 2 minutes).
05 - Stir in heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt to taste.
06 - Return rested steaks to the pan and spoon the warm peppercorn sauce over the top. Heat through for 1 minute. Serve immediately, garnished with additional peppercorns if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This tastes like something youd order at a fancy steakhouse but costs a fraction of the price to make at home
  • The sauce comes together in minutes yet makes you look like a trained chef
02 -
  • Never skip the resting step or all those juices will end up on your cutting board instead of in your steak
  • The sauce thickens quickly as it cools so dont over-reduce it in the pan
03 -
  • If you dont have a vent hood good airflow is your friend when adding the brandy
  • A cast iron skillet holds heat beautifully but any heavy bottomed pan will work

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