Valentine’s delight: Steak with roasted peppercorn sauce

Are you cooking for the one you love this St Valentine’s Day? Chef Neven Maguire thinks a classic steak with roasted peppercorn sauce is hard to beat. Here’s his recipe for a dish that’s sure to wow.

This classic dish is so delicious, it’s no wonder that it has lasted the test of time. Use the best dry-aged steaks you can afford and make sure you give them plenty of time to rest before serving them to allow all the juices to settle.  

Serves 4  

Ingredients:

1 tbsp white peppercorns 

1 tbsp black peppercorns  

4 x 175g (6oz) striploin steaks (preferably dry-aged)  

2 tsp rapeseed oil  

50g (2oz) butter  

2 shallots, finely chopped  

85ml (3fl oz) fresh beef stock   

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 

6 tbsp cream  

2 tsp Dijon mustard  

1 tsp drained green peppercorns in brine, rinsed  

2 tbsp whiskey  

Salt, to taste  

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, to serve  

Steamed broccoli, to serve 

Method:

Dry roast the peppercorns for a couple of minutes, until aromatic. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and lightly crush down, then tip onto a flat plate. Pat the steaks dry with kitchen paper and press the mixed peppercorns onto both sides of the steaks using your hands. If you have time, cover with f

oi

l or clingfilm and leave at room temperature for two to three hours to allow the flavours to infuse.  

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Add the steaks and cook for two minutes on each side, then reduce the heat, add half the butter and cook the steaks for five minutes, turning once, depending on how rare you like it. Transfer the steaks to a plate, season with salt and set aside in a warm place to rest while you make the sauce.  

Pour away any excess fat from the pan, add the remaining butter, and fry the shallots for a few minutes until softened but not browned. Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and cook rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any sediment. Stir in the cream, mustard and green peppercorns, then season to taste with salt and warm through. Heat the whiskey in a ladle over a flame and wait until it ignites, then pour it over the cream, stirring to combine. Simmer for one to two minutes to warm through.  

Arrange the steaks on warmed plates, stirring any juices from the rested steaks into the peppercorn sauce. Drizzle the sauce over the steaks and serve at once with the roasted garlic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. 

Neven Maguire returns to Bord Bia Bloom this year to curate another delicious three-course menu for ‘A Taste of Bloom’. You can buy tickets to this very special dining experience in Bloom’s Garden View Restaurant here. 

Remember, always look for the Bord Bia Quality Mark when shopping.