A slightly different twist on red wine sauce with pepper and cream which gives a creamy and rich sauce. A good pepper sauce is what separates a homemade steak from a proper restaurant steak. The secret is the red wine: it gives a depth and complexity you never get with just cream and pepper. This version is made with properly crushed pepper (not ground), tomato purée and a good red wine, and the sauce turns out creamy, full-bodied and balanced.
Feel free to use a red wine you would actually drink with the meal. If you have an open bottle of Bordeaux or Rioja standing around, it is perfect here. The sauce goes just as well with entrecôte, beef tenderloin and chicken, and only takes a few minutes to make while the meat rests.
Tip: Crush the peppercorns coarsely in a mortar, or put them in a tea towel and roll over them with a rolling pin. Coarsely crushed pepper gives a far more interesting flavour than ready ground pepper from the spice rack.
Wine suggestion: A good Bordeaux is the classic choice, but my personal favourite with this sauce is a Barolo. The full-bodied, tannic style from Piedmont in Italy fits pepper sauce and steak like a glove. Barolo stands up to the powerful pepper and gives back something complex and long lasting. It is not an everyday wine, but for a proper steak dinner it is worth it.
Pepper sauce with red wine is the classic steak sauce that lifts a good steak from good to unforgettable. The bold red wine reduction, the cream and the whole peppercorns give a sauce with depth, warmth and character, and it is surprisingly easy to make.
Use the pan juices from the steak as the base for the sauce, that is where all the flavour is. Deglaze the pan with red wine while it is still hot, and you get a sauce that tastes like it has been simmering for hours.
Tips and variations
- Use a simple, dry red wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Malbec work well. Never use sweet wine in the sauce.
- Deglaze the pan after the steak; the caramelised meat residue (fond) is full of flavour you don’t want to waste.
- Crush the peppercorns coarsely in a mortar. Slightly larger pieces give more crunch and an interesting bite.
- Let the red wine reduce by almost half before adding the cream for a concentrated, deep flavour.
- Adjust the pepper heat to taste. Start with a little and add more towards the end. The sauce should be warm, not burning.
🍷 Wine tips
Bordeaux (Merlot/Cabernet): Pepper sauce with red wine is bold and flavourful, and it pairs naturally with a good Bordeaux. Merlot-dominant wines from Pomerol or Saint-Émilion give rounded richness, while Cabernet-based wines from the Médoc provide more structure and tannin.
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Pepper sauce with red wine
Good sauce for meat and chicken.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Fry onion with crushed pepper in butter, add the tomato purée towards the end.
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Add red wine and let the sauce reduce by about half.
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Add cream, water, veal stock and sugar.
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Thicken the sauce with 1 teaspoon of cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons of water.
Notes
Tips: Let the wine reduce well, at least half should evaporate, to cut the bitterness from the alcohol and concentrate the flavour.
Storage: Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat gently with a little extra cream.
FAQ: A classic with beef like entrecôte, tenderloin or sirloin. Adjust the pepper to your taste.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 218 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 9 g
- Protein
- 2 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Saturated fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 57 mg
- Sodium
- 430 mg
- Potassium
- 129 mg
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
Frequently asked questions
Black pepper is the classic choice and gives the characteristic heat. Green peppercorns (tinned, in brine) are softer and fruitier and are often used in the French version. A mix of black and green works really well.
Yes. Replace the red wine with more beef stock and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce for umami and colour. The sauce loses a little of its winey depth but is still good. Cognac or brandy is another classic alternative to wine.
Classically a thick steak, entrecôte, beef tenderloin or sirloin. The pepper sauce also goes beautifully with pork loin, veal or even as a dip for chips.
Choose a dry, full-bodied red such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. Never cook with a wine you would not drink.
Reduce it over high heat until it has the consistency you want. For quicker thickening, add a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a little water.
Yes, pepper sauce on red wine keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and the flavour only gets better. Reheat gently over low heat when serving.