Pfefferraumsauce

What it is¶

Pfefferraumsauce — more commonly written Pfefferrahmsauce or Pfefferrahmsoße in German — is a creamy pepper sauce from German-speaking cookery. The name means, approximately, “pepper cream sauce”. It is made by reducing a pepper-seasoned liquid, usually with stock and sometimes brandy, before adding cream to produce a smooth, moderately thick sauce.

It is not gravy in the narrow British sense: it does not depend on roasting juices, browned flour or a roasting joint. In practical use, however, it occupies much the same territory as a rich beef gravy or pan sauce, and is often poured over steak, schnitzel, pork medallions or chips. German and Austrian menus are not troubled by the distinction; the sauce is generally listed as Pfefferrahmsauce whether it arrives beside a steak or a breaded cutlet.

Pepper and regional style¶

The most familiar restaurant version uses green peppercorns preserved in brine. They remain soft enough to crush with the back of a spoon and give a fresh, herbal heat rather than the dusty sharpness of ground black pepper. Dried green peppercorns can also be rehydrated, while crushed black, white or mixed peppercorns produce a hotter and more assertive sauce.

A French-influenced version may use cognac, brandy or white wine to deglaze the pan. German home cooking more often uses meat stock, cream and a spoonful of mustard, with the alcohol omitted or replaced by a small quantity of beer. This is related in method to German and central European gravies, though it is a cream sauce rather than a brown sauce thickened with flour.

The sauce should taste of pepper before it tastes of cream. Excessive peppercorns, particularly dried black pepper, can turn the sauce harsh; pepper should be added in stages and adjusted at the end.

Essential ingredients¶

A small amount of Worcestershire sauce is common in restaurant adaptations, although it is not essential to the traditional idea. Mustard is similarly optional. Stock quality matters: a heavily salted cube can leave little room for reduction, while a gelatinous beef stock gives the finished sauce a more convincing body.

Method¶

Serves 4 · 20 minutes

You need

• 1 tbsp neutral oil or butter
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained
• 50 ml brandy or cognac, optional
• 250 ml unsalted beef or veal stock
• 150 ml double cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard, optional
• Salt, to taste
• Pan juices from four steaks, if available

Method

1. Cook the steaks or other meat in a heavy frying pan, then transfer them to a warm plate to rest. Leave the browned fond in the pan, as described in Deglazing a roasting tin, though a frying pan is the more usual vessel here.
2. Lower the heat and add the butter or oil. Cook the shallot for 2–3 minutes until softened but not coloured.
3. Add half the peppercorns and crush them lightly. Pour in the brandy, if using, and scrape the browned meat from the base of the pan.
4. Add the stock and simmer briskly for 4–6 minutes, until reduced by roughly one-third. Reduction concentrates both flavour and salt, so seasoning is best left until this stage.
5. Stir in the cream, remaining peppercorns and mustard. Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil hard, or the cream may split.
6. Add any juices released by the resting meat. Taste for salt and pepper, then serve immediately.

The ratio is flexible but useful: approximately 250 ml stock to 150 ml cream produces a pourable sauce for four people. For a thicker result, reduce the stock further before adding cream rather than reaching first for flour or cornflour. The latter can make a cream sauce look opaque and pudding-like.

Serving and variations¶

Pfefferraumsauce is most closely associated with beef steak, especially rump, sirloin and fillet, but it is also served with pork loin, veal, chicken and gravy for meatballs. It suits fried or breaded meat because the cream softens the crust's salt and pepper. Chips, rösti, spaetzle and fried potatoes are conventional accompaniments; green beans and a sharp salad provide necessary relief from the sauce's richness.

A mushroom version adds sliced mushrooms after the shallot and cooks them until their water has evaporated. This produces a pepper-and-mushroom cream sauce, not a separate canonical style, but it is common in restaurants. For a lighter sauce, use crème fraîche or a mixture of milk and cream, following the general cautions in Cream and milk in gravy. Dairy substitutes can work, although their behaviour varies considerably with heat.

The sauce is best made in the meat pan, where the fond and resting juices supply flavour that stock alone cannot provide. A version made entirely in a saucepan remains perfectly serviceable, but it should be understood as a cream sauce with pepper rather than a pan sauce in the fullest sense.