Steak Frites with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

There are nights when chicken and pasta simply aren’t going to cut it. You want steak.

Properly seared steak, a ridiculous pile of crispy fries, and enough peppercorn sauce to drag every last fry through what’s left in the bowl.

 

That’s exactly what this is.

The steak is kept simple because it should be. A good sirloin needs a hot pan, plenty of seasoning, and enough patience to leave it alone while that dark crust develops.

I cook mine to medium-rare, rest it properly, then slice it fairly thick so the center stays juicy and pink.

The fries deserve just as much attention. These are rustic, skin-on fries with rough edges that turn deeply golden and crisp.

Parmesan goes on while they’re still piping hot so some of it melts into the fries and some stays finely grated on top.

Then there’s the peppercorn sauce. Creamy, peppery, slightly boozy if you add the brandy, and full of all those browned bits left behind from cooking the steak.

I spoon it straight down the middle where the steak meets the fries. Inevitably, it ends up all over both. That’s the point.

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The steak has a proper dark sear while staying pink and juicy inside.
• The peppercorn sauce is made directly in the steak pan, so none of that flavor gets wasted.
• Hand-cut Parmesan fries make this feel much more special than frozen fries.
• Everything comes together in about 45 minutes.
• It looks impressive without requiring complicated restaurant techniques.

 

Ingredients

For the Steak

• 2 thick-cut sirloin steaks, about 8 to 10 ounces each
• 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Parmesan Fries

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

For the Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon whole black or green peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons brandy or cognac, optional
• ½ cup beef stock
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt to taste

For Finishing

• Freshly grated Parmesan
• Finely chopped fresh chives

A Few Ingredient Notes

Sirloin: Look for steaks that are at least 1 inch thick.

Thin steaks cook so quickly that getting a dark crust without overcooking the middle becomes unnecessarily difficult.

Potatoes: Russets are my first choice here. Their high starch content gives you that fluffy center and crisp exterior you want from a steakhouse-style fry.

Peppercorns: Lightly crush them rather than grinding them into powder

. You want little bursts of pepper throughout the sauce, not a uniformly peppery cream sauce.

Parmesan: Grate it finely yourself if you can. It clings to hot fries much better than the larger pre-shredded pieces.

How to Make the Parmesan Fries

Scrub the potatoes well and leave the skins on.

Cut them lengthwise into rustic fries. Don’t worry about making every fry identical—the slightly thinner ones get extra crisp while the thicker ones stay fluffy in the middle, which is exactly the mix I want here.

Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for at least 20 minutes.

Drain and dry them extremely well. Any water left on the surface works against you when you’re trying to get crispy fries.

Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Spread the fries in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 35 to 45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until deeply golden with crisp, browned edges.

As soon as they come out of the oven, toss them with finely grated Parmesan and chopped chives.

How to Cook the Steak

Take the steaks out of the refrigerator about 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.

Pat them completely dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron or stainless steel, over medium-high to high heat until very hot.

Add the oil.

Place the steaks in the pan and don’t immediately start moving them around. Give them time to make full contact with the hot surface and develop that deep brown crust.

Cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes on the first side.

Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the butter, crushed garlic, and thyme.

Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the foaming butter repeatedly over the steaks for another minute or so.

For medium-rare, remove the steaks when the center reaches roughly 125–130°F (52–54°C). The temperature will continue to rise slightly while they rest.

Transfer the steaks to a board and let them rest for at least 8 to 10 minutes.

This part matters. Slice immediately and you’ll watch all those juices run onto your cutting board instead of staying inside the steak.

Make the Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

While the steak rests, return the same skillet to medium heat.

Leave those browned bits in there. That’s flavor you absolutely want in the sauce.

Add the butter and shallot and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until softened.

Stir in the crushed peppercorns.

If you’re using brandy or cognac, add it now and let it bubble for about 30 seconds.

Pour in the beef stock and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Let the stock reduce by roughly half.

Turn the heat down and pour in the heavy cream.

Add the Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Taste before adding salt. Between the beef stock, steak drippings, and Worcestershire, you may find it barely needs any.

The finished sauce should be creamy and pourable rather than stiff. If it gets too thick while sitting, loosen it with a small splash of beef stock.

Slice the Steak

Once rested, slice the steak against the grain into thick, slightly uneven pieces.

For the look in the photos, don’t slice it paper-thin. You want substantial pieces that show off the rosy medium-rare center alongside the dark, caramelized crust.

Spoon any juices left on the cutting board back over the sliced meat.

Those juices took time to create. I’m not throwing them away.

How to Plate It Like the Photos

Use a large, shallow off-white or neutral ceramic bowl.

Pile the Parmesan fries casually on one side. Don’t arrange them too neatly—the photos have that generous, just-served look with fries overlapping in different directions.

Fan the thick slices of steak alongside them with the pink centers facing upward.

Spoon the warm peppercorn sauce generously and unevenly over the steak, allowing some to run between the slices and onto a few of the fries.

Finish with finely chopped chives over the sauce and a light grating of Parmesan over the fries.

The final bowl should look abundant rather than carefully styled: deeply browned steak, visibly pink centers, properly golden fries, and creamy peppercorn sauce spilling into everything.

Getting That Medium-Rare Center Right

A meat thermometer is genuinely useful here.

Pulling steak from the pan based purely on cooking time can be unpredictable because steak thickness, starting temperature, and pan heat all vary.

For the juicy pink center shown in the photos, pull the sirloin around 125 to 130°F and allow it to finish cooking as it rests.

And definitely rest before slicing. Eight minutes can feel like an eternity when there’s steak sitting in front of you, but it makes a noticeable difference.

How to Get Crispier Fries

The biggest mistake with homemade fries is leaving too much moisture on the potatoes.

Soaking removes some of the excess surface starch, but drying afterward is just as important.

Give the fries plenty of room on the baking sheet, too. If they’re piled on top of each other, they’ll steam instead of roast.

For even crispier results, preheat the baking sheet in the oven before carefully adding the potatoes.

That immediate blast of heat helps the bottoms start browning straight away.

Make Ahead and Storage

The fries are unquestionably best straight from the oven.

If you have leftovers, refrigerate them separately from the steak and sauce.

Reheat the fries in a 425°F oven or air fryer until crisp again rather than microwaving them.

Store leftover steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The peppercorn sauce can also be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Reheat it gently over low heat, adding a splash of cream or beef stock if it has thickened.

Steak Frites with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 2 generous servings

Thick slices of medium-rare sirloin with a deeply seared crust, piled alongside crispy skin-on Parmesan fries and covered with homemade creamy peppercorn sauce.

A scattering of fresh chives cuts through all that richness just enough, although I’ll admit the best part might be getting to the bottom of the bowl, where the Parmesan crumbs, steak juices, and peppercorn sauce have found their way into the last few fries.