Step 1

Make sure to take the steaks out of the refrigerator and out of the package 30-45 minutes before cooking. Let them rest on the cutting board.

Step 2

Prepare and measure all your ingredients before starting to cook.

Step 3

Before starting to cook the meat, I highly recommend that you take a minute to toast the whole peppercorns. It will enhance the taste and aroma!

Step 4

Preheat a dry cooking pan that you will use to cook meat and sauce over medium heat.

Step 5

Add peppercorns and toast them for a few minutes until starts to lightly smoke and give out pleasant aroma. Make sure to gently shake the pan as peppercorns cook so they mix and don't burn.

Step 6

Transfer toasted peppercorns into a pepper grinder and grind them on a coarse setting. Set it aside. (You will use 2-3 teaspoons, depending on how much spice you'd like in your sauce.)

Step 7

Use the same pan to cook the steaks as you used to toast peppercorns and will use to cook the sauce, the drippings from the meat will make the sauce extra rich.

Step 8

Pat the steaks dry and generously season with salt and pepper on both sides right before adding them to the pan to cook!

Step 9

Spread some oil in the pan and pan-sear the steaks until they reach the desired temperature and take them out of the pan. Set them aside to rest while you prepare the sauce.

Step 10

Cook your favorite steaks to the temperature that you prefer and take them out of the pan. While the steaks are resting, prepare the sauce in the same pan! Make sure to use the same pan because so much flavor will come from the steak drippings left in the pan that will be incorporated into the sauce.

Step 11

After you take the steaks out, add minced shallot and sauté them over medium-high heat until softened and browned.

Step 12

Pour in cognac into the pan and let it simmer for about a minute.

Step 13

Pour in beef stock. Stir and let it simmer rapidly for up to 3 minutes, you're looking for the stock to reduce by about half.

Step 14

Turn the heat down to about medium (or lower), add 2 to 3 teaspoons of crushed black pepper that you have set aside, and pour in heavy whipping cream. Stir and let it gently simmer for another minute or so, until you notice that it's thickening. (When you run a spatula along the bottom of the pan, you'll notice that the sauce takes some time to spread back.)

Step 15

Take the sauce out of the pan and pour over your steaks.