Ever the fans of epic food weekends, this Sunday was steak Sunday in our house. This is fairly self-explanatory... buy steak, then eat it with other tasty food. What we have recently discovered though is homemade peppercorn sauce. This is a really nice addition to an already tasty meal and pretty straightforward.
We like our steak quite rare so usually start the sauce at the same time as cooking the steak. For two people, finely chop two shallots and cook off in a knob of butter (well, Vitalite in our case) and grind in several tablespoons of peppercorns, the exact amount will depend on just how peppery you like it, you can always add more! After a few minutes add some beef stock (maybe around 100ml made with half a stock cube), we've also tried adding a splash of port but this is not essential. Once that has reduced, stir in some Lactofree cream (about 100ml) and reduce a bit further. Taste at this point and check the pepper levels.
We serve with homemade chips and green beans. Enjoy!