Textual Chef Textual Chef

Steak Frites with Peppercorn Sauce

A bistro staple of pan-seared strip steak finished with a cognac and green peppercorn cream sauce, served alongside crispy oven fries. Rich, bold, and ready in under an hour.

60 minMediumServes 2720 cal/serving

FrenchDinnerStovetopStandardHigh Protein

Ingredients

  • 16 oz New York strip steak (1 inch thick), patted dry
  • 1 lb russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-in sticks
  • 2 tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained and lightly crushed
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup cognac or brandy
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other high-heat oil)
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (for frying potatoes)
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Soak 1 lb cut into 1/4-in sticks russet potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes; drain and pat completely dry. This removes excess starch for crispier fries.

  2. 2

    Heat 1 cup vegetable oil (for frying potatoes) in a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven to 325°F. Fry potatoes in batches for 3-4 minutes until tender but not colored. Remove and drain on a rack. Let oil return to 375°F, then fry again until golden and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Drain, season with salt, and keep warm.

  3. 3

    Season 16 oz New York strip steak (1 inch thick) (patted dry) generously on both sides with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper. Heat a separate cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other high-heat oil).

  4. 4

    Sear the steak undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temperature of 130-135°F / 54-57°C). In the last 2 minutes, add 2 tbsp unsalted butter and baste the steak repeatedly. Transfer to a plate and rest for 5 minutes.

  5. 5

    In the same pan, reduce heat to medium. Cook 1 large minced shallot in the pan drippings for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup cognac or brandy and carefully tilt the pan away from you - the alcohol may briefly flame. Let it reduce by half, about 1 minute.

  6. 6

    Add 1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp drained and lightly crushed green peppercorns in brine, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

  7. 7

    Slice the rested steak against the grain. Plate alongside the fries. Spoon peppercorn sauce over the steak and garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

Questions

Can I make Steak Frites with Peppercorn Sauce dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Swap the cream for full-fat coconut milk or an oat cooking cream; the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

How long does Steak Frites with Peppercorn Sauce keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Can I halve or double Steak Frites with Peppercorn Sauce?

Yes. As written it serves 2. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,512 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More French entries

All French recipes · All Dinner recipes