This French favorite recipe features peppercorn-crusted filets topped with a creamy cognac or brandy sauce, the perfect dish for a special occasion or date night at home. The key to the peppercorn crust is to crush the peppercorns by hand—either with a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin or meat mallet. You want to go for big pieces of peppercorns instead of the fine powdery stuff that you get out of your pepper mill.
- Serves 2
- Active time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 MOINK tenderloin filets
- 1 Tbsp. peppercorns, crushed
- Salt
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 cloves garlic, halved
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 shallot, minced
- ⅓ cup cognac or brandy
- ½ cup heavy cream
Cooking instructions
- Let the filets stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Coat with the peppercorns and salt.
- Heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme, allowing them to flavor the fat. Cook the steak 3 to 4 minutes on each side or to desired doneness, basting with the fat in the pan as it cooks.
- Remove the steak from the skillet and remove and discard the garlic and thyme from the drippings. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and cook the shallot until tender. Add the cognac or brandy and cook about 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Spoon the sauce over the filets and serve immediately.
Pro Tip: Don’t have a mortar and pestle? Place the peppercorns in a zip-top plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
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