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Grilled Strip Loin with Black Peppercorn Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Cooking steak doesn’t have to be difficult and these Grilled Strip Loin with Black Peppercorn Sauce cook quickly have very little prep time. Served here with a creamy and peppery sauce , delicious!

Close up of a steak with pepper sauce.
Grilled Strip Loin with Black Peppercorn Sauce

Originally posted on May 22nd, 2015. Updated on May 11th, 2023 to include new photos, recipe tips, frequently asked questions and more relevant information.

What is This Steak Like

  • Difficulty – This is a pretty easy steak recipe to make. The sauce can be made before hand and reheated and the steak requires no marinade time!
  • Taste – This steak is tender and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. The sauce is rich, creamy and peppery.
  • Serving – This recipe serves two people. You can easily adjust servings in the the recipe card below to serve more.
Strip steak with pepper sauce.
Stove top Grilled Strip Steak

Ingredients

  • Steak – I used thin cut strip steaks for this recipe. They were only about 1/2 inch thick each.
  • Steak seasoning – I only used salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
  • Olive oil – This was used to cook the steak.
  • Red wine – Red wine was reduced in making the peppercorn sauce.
  • Beef broth – I used beef broth as the base for the sauce as it gives a really rich flavour.
  • Black peppercorns – Whole black peppercorns are slightly crushed and used in the sauce.
  • Cornstarch – This is mixed with water and added as a thicker for the sauce.

NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.


Instructions

  1. Season steaks – Season the steaks on both sides with black pepper and salt. Bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  2. Make cornstarch mixture – In a glass, combine the cornstarch and water. Stir until combined and set aside.
  3. Make the sauce – Make the sauce while the steaks are coming to room temperature.Set a small sauce pan over a medium high heat on the stove top. Add the olive oil and crushed garlic. Stir for about a minute and add the red wine. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and let the wine reduce by about half. Next, add the beef broth and bring back to a boil. Again, reduce heat and leave it to simmer for about 20 minutes or until it has reduced again by about a half. Add the cooking cream and black peppercorns and bring back to a boil for a quick second before reducing the heat. Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch mixture and stir well until smooth and thick. Remove from heat.
  4. Cook the steak – Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. If you have a cast iron grill pan, it will work best. Make sure the pan is really hot, about 5 minutes preheating. Add the olive oil and place the steaks in the grill pan. Cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes and flip. Cook the other side for about the same amount of time.
  5. Allow the steak to rest – Remove from pan and place on a plate and loosely cover with foil. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
  6. Serve – Serve the steak with the sauce either on the side or over the steak.
Black peppercorn sauce steaks.
Strip Steak with Pepper Sauce

Recipe Tips

  • Cook at room temperature – It’s always best to allow meat to come to room temperature before cooking. Take the steak out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Multi tasking – I recommend seasoning the steak and bringing it to room temperature. Then make the sauce. As soon as the sauce is cooked, cook the steaks because they only take a few minutes.
  • Cooking method – Make sure you cooking surface is really hot. I used a cast iron grill pan to cook this steak and it works fantastic. Alternatively, you could cook it on the barbecue.
  • Cooking time – Keep in mind, cooking time will vary depending on type of steak, thickness of steak and the doneness level you like your steak.
Close up of grilled steaks.
Grilled Strip Steaks with Pepper Sauce

Substitutions

  • Type of steak – I used thin cut strip steaks for this recipe. You can use pretty much any kind of steak that you like. Ribeye, T-Bone, Porterhouse or Sirloin would all be good alternatives. Just keep in mind the cooking times will vary according to the type of steak and the thickness of your steak.
  • Peppercorn sauce – A great alternative would be the Creamy Mushroom Sauce or any kind of mustard sauce or steak sauce of your choice.

How to Cook Steak According to Doneness

  • Rare – You just flash fry the steak quickly on each side. It will still be completely red in the centre.
  • Medium Rare – Steak is seared on the outside for a bit longer than rare. It will be pink in the middle and tender and juicy.
  • Medium – The steak will be pink in the middle and will have no red spots. It will still be tender and is a common way of cooking steak.
  • Medium Well – Steak will have a small amount of pink in the centre, but will be mostly well done.
  • Well Done – Steak will be cooked all the way through and have no pink spots at all. It will be much less tender than the other levels of doneness.
Steaks on a cast iron pan.
Grilled Strip Steak with Black Peppercorn Sauce

What to Serve With Steak

We served it with very basic baked potatoes and Greek Salad with Marinaded Feta.  Oh, and not to forget the red wine!

Steak with pepper sauce on a plate.
Fan Fried Steak with Pepper Sauce

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Strip Steak a good cut?

A strip steak is a common and also a good cut of steak. It does come in varying thickness and quality. It is a common cut to find in steak houses.

What can you do with leftover steak?

Leftover steak is great used in sandwiches, tacos, fajitas, wraps, pita breads, salads, to add to soups and so much more.

Steak with bread and sauce.
Grilled Steak



Close up of a steak with pepper sauce.
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Grilled Strip Loin with Black Peppercorn Sauce

These Grilled Strip Loin with Black Peppercorn Sauce sure hit the stop. It was thick cut Argentinian steak smothered in a peppery sauce, delicious.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: North American
Keyword: dinner, sauce, Steak
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 720kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the steak

  • 1 lb strip loin steaks My steaks were about 1 inch thick
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh crushed black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Black Peppercorn Sauce

  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 2/3 cups cream
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons slightly crushed black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Season the steaks on both sides with black pepper and salt. Bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  • In a glass, combine the cornstarch and water. Stir until combined and set aside.
  • Make the sauce while the steaks are coming to room temperature.
    Set a small sauce pan over a medium high heat on the stove top. Add the olive oil and crushed garlic. Stir for about a minute and add the red wine. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and let the wine reduce by about half. Next, add the beef broth and bring back to a boil. Again, reduce heat and leave it to simmer for about 20 minutes or until it has reduced again by about a half. Add the cooking cream and black peppercorns and bring back to a boil for a quick second before reducing the heat. Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch mixture and stir well until smooth and thick. Remove from heat.
  • Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. If you have a cast iron grill pan, it will work best. Make sure the pan is really hot, about 5 minutes preheating. Add the olive oil and place the steaks in the grill pan. Cook for about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes and flip. Cook the other side for about the same amount of time.
  • Remove from pan and place on a plate and loosely cover with foil. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
  • Serve the steak with the sauce either on the side or over the steak.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts
Grilled Strip Loin with Black Peppercorn Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 720 Calories from Fat 576
% Daily Value*
Fat 64g98%
Saturated Fat 28g175%
Cholesterol 231mg77%
Sodium 2054mg89%
Potassium 947mg27%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 39g78%
Vitamin A 1166IU23%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 111mg11%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

By on May 22nd, 2015
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About Julia Pinney

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