Skip to the method
Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Green Peppercorn Sauce-Perfect for the Braai

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.81 from 32 ratings South African
With Heritage Braai Day around the corner, try this green peppercorns sauce- perfect for the Steak Braai! It goes really well with any beef meat cut, I used to make this for my guests when I had beef fillet evening. Grilling the beef on my Le Creuset grilling pan, gave it the lovely grilling ‘ stripes’, which is also lovely when you char grill chicken breast fillet. I still use my Le Creuset grilling pan often -  an absolute  must - have item for a chef's kitchen apart from good knives! Green peppercorn sauce - perfect for the steak braai taste best with red meat such as beef, or any beef cut, duck breast, ostrich or veal. Homemade beef stock (fond Brun) (also known as brown stock) will make it exceptionally good instead of supermarket stock cubes. Green peppercorns are definitely a delicatessen with red meat. The taste is just unreal. Therefore it is definitely very important to use a good quality of meat stock and I would recommend to take time beforehand and make some. Meat stock freeze well so why not make some? It will bring out extraordinary flavours in this sauce and also in future for future soups to be cooked by you. You can top up your knowledge about Fond Brun by simply reading a bit more about the importance of a good quality of stock in your soups and sauces. The brandy also adds flavour to enhance the flavour of the meat combined with the sauce. A good quality brandy is even better. I use KWV 5 or 10 year or any other decent quality is good. Remember to strain the green peppercorns well as it was laying in its brine before adding it to the brandy in the pot. I have used this sauce also with lovely duck breast fillet, with potatoes, pumpkin and caramelised onion with green beans. It is best to cut the duck breast in medallions for that even better plating presentation. With chicken, it can easily work well, but remember to use chicken stock instead of beef stock. This recipe brings back good memories in my Guesthouse days and suddenly I miss my old colleagues who used to be my tasting mates (a second opinion is surely important!). For side dishes at a Braai, don’t miss out on Cool Cucumber Salad or Beetroot Side Salad for the Braai.
savoury green peppercorn steak sauce served in a gravy boat next to grilled meat.
Prep 20 min
Cook 10 min
Total 30 min
Serves 4

Jump to the method

Ingredients

  • 250 ml beef stock, of good quality
  • 250 ml cream
  • 3 teaspoons canned green peppercorns, drained
  • 1 Tablespoon brandy of good quality
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour or maizena, mixed into a paste with a little bit of water- OPTIONAL
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Add the green peppercorns and brandy in a pot and stir over low heat

  2. Let it reduce about a 1/3rd, the brandy must be well reduced, to add to the flavour.You can add more green peppercorns if you would like it to have a more peppery flavour

  3. Add the meat stock and reduce again to about halfway or down to a 1/3rd of the original liquid part

  4. Lastly, add the cream, the sauce will be thickening.If the sauce is too runny to your liking, mix the teaspoon corn flour with a little bit of water to form a paste and add to the sauce. (The thickness of the sauce is actually a personal thing, so do this step according to your liking of the thickness)

  5. Keep stirring, the sauce will now start to thicken. Cook a little bit more for the corn flour to be "cooked" and serve with the meat and enjoy

More sauces & marinades