Gordon Ramsay\'s Great British Pub Food

Sirloin steak with green

peppercorn sauce

This succulent steak comes with a double dose of peppers,

in the form of cracked black peppercorns on the meat and

mild green peppercorns in the sauce. Serve with potatoes,

cooked any way you like, and a leafy green salad tossed in

a mustardy dressing.

To prepare the steaks, lightly crush the black peppercorns with a pestle
and mortar, t hen sift out the fine dust. Tip the cr ushed peppercorns
onto a plat e. Season both sides of the steaks with salt, then coat with
the crushed peppercorns.

Heat a wide f rying pan until hot - you should feel the heat rising
above it. Add the olive oil and swirl it around the pan. If the steaks
have a thick layer of fat around the edge, hold them upright with a
pair of tongs a nd y the fat until golden brown and crisp. Turn them
onto one side a nd fry for about 2-3 minutes, then repeat on the other
side or until cooked to your liking. For medium rare steaks, the meat
should feel slightly springy when pressed; medium steaks will feel
slightly firmer. Transfer to a warm plate and leave to rest in a low oven
or a warm spot in the kitchen, loosely covered with foil.

Add the shallot and garlic to the frying pan and f ry for about 3-4
minutes until the shallot starts to soften. Pour in the cognac, stirring
to deglaze, and scrape up any browned sediment on the bottom of
the pan. Let bubble for 30 seconds, then stir in the green peppercorns,
cream and mustard. Tip in any juices released from the resting steaks.
Simmer fo r a few more minutes until the sauce lightly coats the back
of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Place a sirloin steak on each warm plate and spoon over the green

peppercorn sauce. Serve at once, with accompaniments of your choice.

SERVES 4

4 thick sirloin steaks,

about 200-22Sg each

1 tbsp black peppercorns

sea salt

11/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large shallot, peeled

and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and

finely crushed

splash of cognac or dry

sherry

1 heaped tbsp green

peppercorns in brine,

rinsed and drained

200ml double cream

1 tbsp English mustard

G RILLS AN D SAUTES 187