4steaks(duck breasts, small goose breasts, venison, elk, bison, beef, etc)
Salt
4tablespoonsunsalted butter,divided
1minced shallot
1/3cupbrandy(or sherry)
1/2cupdemi glace or glace de viande,or 1 cup duck or beef stock
1tablespoonroughly cracked black peppercorns
1 to 2 tablespoonsgreen peppercorns
1/4cupheavy cream
Instructions
Take the steaks out and salt them well. If you are cooking goose breasts, let them sit out a solid 30 to 45 minutes. Generally, the thinner the steak the shorter the time it needs to come to temperature. And if you make this with streaks 1/4 inch or thinner, take them right out of the fridge and into the hot pan.
Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, pat the steaks dry with paper towels and lay them in the pan so they don't touch each other. Sear them, turning only once, until they are done to your liking, using the finger test for doneness. If you are using duck or goose breasts, follow my instructions for cooking a duck breast here. Put the steaks on a cutting board to rest while you make the sauce.
Make sure you have only about 2 to 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan; if you've cooked duck or goose breasts you will need to remove some. Add the shallot and sauté until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the brandy and boil this down by half.
Add the pepper, peppercorns and glace de viande or stock, bring it to a boil and let this boil furiously until you can drag a wooden spoon through the center of the pan and watch it leave a trail. This typically takes about 2 to 4 minutes.
Turn the heat to low and mix in the cream. When the sauce stops bubbling, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, swirling it in to incorporate it. Doing this should prevent the butter from separating. Serve either over or under your steaks.
Notes
I really prefer to use a good glace de viande or demi-glace for this recipe, as it moves things along faster and adds a lot of body to the sauce. But don't let this stop you from making the recipe: I've also used low-sodium beef stock and boiled it down and it works, too.