Five of the best steak sauces

Purists will tell you that if a steak is good quality you should eat it on its own with nothing more than salt and pepper – but they must have had some poorly made sauces in the past. Drowning a beautiful piece of beef in a subpar sauce is never going to end well, but if you make your own from scratch and ensure you don’t overwhelm the steak’s flavour, you can make a dish that’s much tastier than the sum of its parts.

There are dozens of different sauces served with steak all over the world, from rich hollandaise to smoky mole-inspired Mexican chilli sauces. Here are five that have stood the test of time and, when made properly, will transform an already delicious piece of meat into something to write home about.

A bad peppercorn sauce can be harsh and completely overpowering, which might be why it’s not as commonly found in restaurants as it once was. But when done right it is a perfect match for the rich, umami flavours of beef. Traditionally it’s served with fillet steak, but will work with any cut you fancy.

The sauce itself is essentially peppercorns cooked in double cream until thickened, but a truly great peppercorn sauce will be cooked in the same pan the steaks were with softened shallots, deglazed with cognac or brandy and a variety of different crushed peppercorns (black, white, pink and green). The cream shouldn’t be brought to the boil but left to cook long enough so the peppercorns soften and mellow in flavour. Pour it over the steak just before serving.

Think of béarnaise as hollandaise sauce’s bolder, more sophisticated brother. Whisked up egg yolks are given volume with melted butter and a tarragon-infused wine and vinegar reduction, which cuts through the richness perfectly. It might be a bit trickier to make than peppercorn, but it’s well worth the effort. And if you’re serving chips on the side, just try and resist dipping them in a pot of béarnaise.