Bourbon Black Pepper Pan Sauce

Name: Bourbon Black Pepper Pan Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 0.5 tsp Black Pepper; 1 fl oz Bourbon; 3 tsp Butter; 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper; 0.5 cup Chicken Broth; 2 tsp Duck Fat; 0.33 cup Heavy Cream; 1 clove Minced Garlic; 0 tsp Salt; 2 oz Strip Steak

Side Dish 🥗 American Low-Carb Gluten-Free Carnivore 🥩Keto 🥩

Bourbon Black Pepper Pan Sauce is rich and pepper-forward, with a gentle sweetness from bourbon and a velvety finish from cream and butter. It clings beautifully to seared steaks, balancing warmth from cayenne with savory depth from pan drippings. Ideal for an elevated weeknight dinner or a special-occasion steak night, it brings steakhouse character to the table.

Prep10 mins
Cook15 mins
Serves2
DifficultyEasy

1

Generously season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper, being especially generous with the pepper.
2

Melt duck fat in a steel pan over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and 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 the steaks to a plate and let them rest while you make the sauce. Turn off the heat.
3

Stir the garlic into the same pan with a spoon. Add 1 teaspoon butter and let it melt. Pour in the bourbon and cook until reduced to a sticky glaze, about 15 seconds. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom to deglaze. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Boil until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
4

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