Beef Tenderloin with Sauce (Printable)
Succulent pan-seared beef tenderloin with creamy peppercorn sauce for an elegant dinner experience.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 4 beef tenderloin steaks (6 oz each), 1.5 inches thick
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
04 - Kosher salt, to taste
05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Peppercorn Sauce
06 - 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
07 - 2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
08 - ½ cup beef stock
09 - ½ cup heavy cream
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
# How-To Steps:
01 - Remove steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
02 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the steaks. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness.
03 - Transfer steaks to a plate and tent loosely with foil to rest while preparing the sauce.
04 - Pour off excess fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the crushed peppercorns and toast briefly for about 30 seconds.
05 - Carefully add brandy or cognac to deglaze the pan, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Let alcohol reduce by half for about 1 minute.
06 - Add beef stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
07 - Lower the heat and stir in heavy cream and Dijon mustard. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
08 - Return steaks to the pan to warm through, spooning sauce over them for 1 minute. Serve steaks topped with peppercorn sauce.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The peppercorn sauce transforms into something that tastes like you spent hours reducing it, but the whole dinner comes together in under 40 minutes
- You get that steakhouse experience at home without the $60 per plate price tag
02 -
- The brandy will flame up when added to the hot pan, which is completely normal and actually looks impressive, but step back slightly and have a lid ready just in case
- Letting the sauce reduce properly is what transforms it from cream with pepper into that velvety restaurant consistency worth savoring
03 -
- Crush peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or seal them in a ziplock bag and smash with the bottom of a heavy pan
- Green peppercorns in brine make a milder, more sophisticated version if you find black pepper too intense