Bourbon Pepper Pan Sauce

Rating: 4.71 stars
28 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 24
  • 4 star values: 2
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 1

Mastering pan sauces is one of the most important but easiest steps towards producing legit restaurant-quality dishes at home. Assemble all the sauce ingredients before cooking the steak so you can make the sauce during the 5-minute resting time for steak. The rich, sweet, peppery flavor profile also works wonderfully with pork chops and grilled chicken. You can also switch up the bourbon for another liquor, since this really is just a technique recipe.

By Chef John

Gallery
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Recipe Summary

prep:
10 mins
cook:
15 mins
total:
25 mins
Servings:
2
Yield:
2 steaks
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

2
Original recipe yields 2 servings
The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

Directions

  • Season both sides of the steaks generously with salt and pepper. Be especially generous with the pepper.

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  • Melt duck fat in a steel pan over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook until firm and reddish-pink in the center for medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side. Sear the edges until browned, about 30 seconds each. Transfer steaks to a plate; let rest while you make the sauce. Turn off the heat.

  • Stir garlic into the same pan using a spoon. Add 1 teaspoon butter; let melt. Pour in bourbon. Heat until reduced to a sticky glaze, about 15 seconds. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat while scraping up the browned bits at the bottom to deglaze. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add heavy cream; season with salt and cayenne pepper. Boil until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

  • Turn off heat and add remaining 2 teaspoons butter; swirl until melted, about 30 seconds more. Spoon sauce warm onto serving plates. Place steaks on top.

Chef's Notes:

If you're making this for meat that's coming off a grill, you can still do the sauce separately, and just keep it warm until the main course is ready. Start with the sauteeing garlic in butter step, and finish as shown. Of course, you'll have to add some coarsely ground black pepper to the sauce, but that's about the only adjustment.

Cook the steak in any kind of fat you prefer.

Feel free to substitute veal stock for the chicken stock.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
537 calories; protein 27g; carbohydrates 2.3g; fat 42.4g; cholesterol 153mg; sodium 697.3mg. Full Nutrition
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Reviews (21)

Read More Reviews

Most helpful positive review

Kevin Gorham
Rating: 5 stars
08/08/2018
Delicious, simple and keto-friendly. Do follow his instruction to lay out ALL the ingredients, first. The sauce cooks quickly and I found myself scrambling to fetch the few things that I stubbornly left in the cabinet. If you like bourbon, stir in a capful of it right at the end. I borrowed that technique from a different Martha Stewart recipe and it worked perfectly, here. Read More
Helpful
(6)

Most helpful critical review

maureen
Rating: 1 stars
09/24/2019
No question except for where do I get duck fat from? Is there a suitable substitute? Read More
28 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 24
  • 4 star values: 2
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 1
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
Kevin Gorham
Rating: 5 stars
08/08/2018
Delicious, simple and keto-friendly. Do follow his instruction to lay out ALL the ingredients, first. The sauce cooks quickly and I found myself scrambling to fetch the few things that I stubbornly left in the cabinet. If you like bourbon, stir in a capful of it right at the end. I borrowed that technique from a different Martha Stewart recipe and it worked perfectly, here. Read More
Helpful
(6)
Bonnielee McDonald
Rating: 5 stars
01/07/2019
Tonight was leftover night and we had a large grilled Rib Eye, I was gonna chop it up and make tocos but came across this sauce. Well as most of you know, if you reheat a steak it can be dry like leather. I made the sauce, then kinda boiled the steak in it to heat it up. OMG! That steak was better then when it came off the grill. Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it on a fresh grilled steak. Read More
Helpful
(3)
Scott Shelton
Rating: 5 stars
04/05/2019
Great flavor, chef John never disappoints. Read More
Helpful
(3)
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5280
Rating: 5 stars
07/30/2018
Delicious! Read More
Helpful
(2)
busygal
Rating: 5 stars
09/12/2020
We will definitely make this again! I got a little anxious and didn't let my bourbon reduce quite enough, resulting in my sauce being just a bit on the pale side, but still quite tasty! I'll do better next time. One reason I love learning sauces is because basic sauce skills are so adaptable to other dishes. After learning this one, I used a variation to make a mushroom cream sauce to be served over penne. De-lish! Thank you for the recipe! Read More
Helpful
(1)
Apatata
Rating: 5 stars
01/02/2020
This was GREAT and SOOO simple. Loved it - will definitely make again. I used two filet mignonettes and had to use olive oil and butter as I didn’t have duck fat, also used half n half instead of heavy cream, that was all I had. Read More
Helpful
(1)
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Becky
Rating: 5 stars
07/19/2019
Unbelievable great recipe!!!! Sause was to die for. Gave the dish the best thing. You have to try it. My husband loved it. Read More
Caleb Putnam
Rating: 5 stars
01/03/2019
I absolutely loved this Bourbon pepper pan sauce! Wonderful recipe Chef John. Thank you for sharing it. Read More
Ingrid Chilberg
Rating: 5 stars
06/07/2020
YaWOWza! Even made minute steaks taste gourmet! Rich, flavorFull and easy - my favorite combination. Thank you Chef John. You are the guru of my kitchen wooHOO! Read More
maureen
Rating: 1 stars
09/24/2019
No question except for where do I get duck fat from? Is there a suitable substitute? Read More
More Reviews
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