Most often when we’re making a nice cut of steak for dinner, we’ll keep the preparation pretty simple and let the flavor of the meat shine. Maybe a rub of salt on each side, and that’s more or less it. But every now and again, I get a craving for something more…a red wine reduction, maybe, or in this case, a pepper sauce. As an added bonus, the pepper sauce goes great over mashed potatoes, so it’s a double bonus. The pepper sauce is rich, with a complex layer of flavors, yet it’s incredibly simple in its preparation. Here’s how to make it:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cognac
Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, and cook over the stovetop until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Serve over beef/steak and mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
– Pete
That seems like a mighty fine use of cognac to me! I bought some T-bones for grilling while camping, but then we decided to do a motorcycle ride today and a day trip to our mtn property instead of camping. Hmmmm, maybe I’ll make your recipe instead of my normal grilling.
Thanks!
Shirley
Hey Shirley… a good use of cognac indeed! (Although my mom has her own rules for cognac… Courvosier VSOP is only for drinking, while “lesser” cognacs are acceptable for cooking. =))
Cheers, Pete
Hey Pete–Finally made this for dinner and we enjoyed it very much. I used a peppercorn medley in it. At first, I thought the sauce was too thin even after thickening, but it tasted just right. 🙂 Oh, and I didn’t follow your mom’s rule 😉 , that was the cognac we had and I used it!
Shirley
No worries, Shirley. I don’t always follow my mom’s rule either! Glad you enjoyed the sauce. If it’s too thin for your liking, you can always thicken it with the addition of a little cornstarch (or other similar option).
Cheers, Pete
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