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Home » Blog » Appetizers

Steak Bite with Brandy Cream Sauce

Last Published: Sep 23, 2022 by Rhonda

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These peppered steak bites with homemade brandy cream sauce are our new favorite steak appetizer! It is tender and delicious with a spicy note from the pepper and a sweetness from the brandy sauce!

Peppered steak bite served on a pick topped with brandy cream sauce.

Sometimes we just want a delicious, tender bite of beef. This beef steak recipe gives us that and when we top that savory meat with this brandy cream sauce #swoon! Our tasters were adding this sauce to everything (bread, potatoes, shrimp), it was that good! Plus, these are super easy to make and are ready to eat in under 30 minutes!

Jump to:
  • Use Good Ingredients
  • Equipment
  • Our Easy Way to Cook Steak Bites
  • Cutting Steak Strips
  • Make Ahead Tips
  • How to Serve Steak Bites
  • Saving Leftovers
  • Other Favorite Meat Appetizer Recipes
  • Some Common FAQ's
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments & Reviews

Use Good Ingredients

As with any recipe, we always want to start with good ingredients. For our main ingredients:

Steak. Select a cut that has some marbling but not a lot of fat and no gristly parts. There are so many good options; sirloin, ribeye, tri-tip, even filet mignon!

Pepper. Use a coarse ground pepper for this dish, not regular table pepper. A pepper grinder with a coarse setting works great. No pepper grinder? Crush peppercorns by hand using a mortar and pestle or smash them with a skillet. If crushing them with a skillet, place between parchment or in a bag before crushing begins!

Beef base. Use a rich, strong beef base. If no rich homemade base is available, use a beef base product like Better Than Bouillon Beef Base.

Ingredients for peppered steak with brandy cream sauce.

Equipment

We love using a cast iron skillet for these steak bites, but any skillet will work.
Using picks to serve these bites makes them very easy to eat.

Picks. We do not recommend using colored toothpicks as the color can come off on the food. We like to use a reusable toothpick, but recognize if you are hosting a large party this may not be feasible. For large parties use a decorative toothpick when possible - like a bamboo knotted toothpick. These are found at most party stores, some grocery stores, or restaurant supply stores. Here are a few of our favorite pick sources.

  • Wooden toothpicks - Least expensive and easy to get
  • Knotted bamboo toothpicks - Inexpensive and easy to get at many locations
  • Bamboo w/’pearl’ - Step up from basic pick and available at Amazon
  • Metal cocktail pick - Most expensive option but reusable!
Coating steak strips with coarse pepper and frying.

Our Easy Way to Cook Steak Bites

We want a nice sear on the steak and found the easiest way to accomplish this was:

  • Start with a steak about ½ inch thick.
  • Cut the steak into strips, about ½ inch wide.
  • Pepper the sides of the steak strips with coarse ground pepper, either two sides or all four sides.
  • Heat a cast iron skillet until hot.
  • Add the oilve oil to the skillet and place steak strips in the skillet.
  • Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes depending on the thickness of your strips.
  • Remove the strips when done, let sit for 5 minutes and then cut into small bite sized pieces, about a ½ inch cube.

Degrees of Doneness

How do we tell when the steak strips are done? A medium-rare to medium-well steak has an internal temperature between 130 - 150 degrees Fahrenheit. It was difficult to get an accurate temperature reading with such a small piece of steak. We cooked the steak strips to an internal temperature of 115-125 degrees Fahrenheit (rare). This gave us a perfectly cooked steak bite by the time we got the sauce done, steak cut, and served. We found 1-2 minutes per side (all 4 sides) on medium-high heat, for our ½ inch thick strips, gave us a perfect sear and doneness. If still unsure, cut the strips in the middle to make sure they are done and cook until desired doneness.

Cooked peppered steak strips and making brandy cream sauce.

For this amazing sauce, we use the same skillet we used for searing the steaks. After the steaks are removed from the skillet:

  • Add the chopped shallots and sauté.
  • Pour in the beef base to deglaze the pan and scrape up all those flavorful brown bits.
  • Add the brandy and cook down.
  • Add cream and heat until warm.
  • Remove from the heat and add the butter.
  • Whisk until combined and serve!

Cutting Steak Strips

We have our seared steak strips resting and the sauce made. Now we need to cut the steak strips into bite sized pieces. Our strips of steak are ½ inch thick by ½ inch wide. We cut each strip into ½ inch pieces for a bite size piece. NOTE: We tried cutting these in ½ inch squares, ¾ inch squares, and 1 inch squares. Our testers liked the smaller ½ inch square size best. They felt they were easier to eat while the larger sizes were just too big of a bite of meat.

Make Ahead Tips

  • STEAK
    • Sear the steak strips but remove before cooked all the way. Remove when the internal temperature is between 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. Refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    • Reheat steak in a preheated 425 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 5-10 minutes. Check internal temperature, it should reach at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep an eye on this as it can go from perfect to overcooked very quickly. Remove and cut into small pieces as directed in the recipe. NOTE: You can also cut the strips into pieces before reheating. Preheat a cast iron skilet. Once skillet is hot, place a small amount of olive oil in the skillet, add steak cubes, and return to the oven until warm. The heating time will reduce if cutting into steak cubes first.
  • SAUCE
    • Make sauce up to adding the cream (BUT don't add the cream). Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days in advance, in an airtight container.
    • Reheat in a pan or skillet on the stove top on medium heat until just starting to bubble. Add the cream and follow the directions for finishing the sauce.
Peppered steak bite on a plate with a bowl of brandy cream sauce.

How to Serve Steak Bites

These steak bites can be served on a platter with a dish of the brandy sauce on the side or with a pick and the sauce on top. They can be served on a warming tray, in a chaffer, or just on a platter.

They can also be served on top of a Grilled Polenta Cake. Slice the steak strips into thin slices instead of cubes. Place a thin piece of peppered steak on the polenta cake, top with some brandy cream sauce and serve. #YUM

Grilled polenta cake topped with peppered steak and brandy cream sauce.

Saving Leftovers

The FDA recommends discarding any perishable food that has been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

If within the FDA recommendations, these steak bites are easily saved. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or a skillet.

Leftover steak bites and brandy cream sauce are also delicious tossed with warm pasta and served hot.

Other Favorite Meat Appetizer Recipes

  • Mini bacon cheeseburgers with lettuce and tomato held in place with metal appetizer picks.
    Mini Bacon Cheeseburger Bites
  • Buffalo chicken meatballs with a pick on a board.
    Buffalo Chicken Cocktail Meatballs
  • Cheese spinach dip topped with crispy bacon in cast iron skillet served with sliced baguette.
    Bacon Spinach Cheese Dip
  • Crispy potato skin quarter loaded with pulled pork, sour cream, and green onions.
    Pulled Pork Potato Skin Bites

Some Common FAQ's

Can I use something besides brandy?

This sauce is SO good, but for an alcohol free version use apple juice, pear juice, beef broth, or water in place of the brandy.

What kind of steak is best for steak bites?

We use a cut that has a little marbling and no gristly parts. Even a roast, cut into strips would work. There are so many cuts that would be good; sirloin steak, tri-tip, ribeye, flank steak, or even a rump roast are all good options. Just cut them into ½ inch by ½ inch strips. Using a tenderloin cut would be amazing, but pricey!

Can I cook the steak bites in the oven?

Absolutely. However, remember we want a nice sear on the steak. You can start with a cast iron skillet on the stovetop and sear each side for 1 minute then transfer to a hot (420-425 degrees Fahrenheit) oven to finish cooking. You can also place the cast iron skillet in the oven while pre-heating to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it is heated, carefully remove the skillet, add the olive oil, steak strips, and return to the hot oven and cook for 5-8 minutes until desired doneness.

Peppered steak bite in a taster spoon topped with brandy cream sauce.
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Peppered steak bite in a taster spoon topped with brandy cream sauce.

Steak Bite with Brandy Cream Sauce


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  • Author: Rhonda
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 24-30 pieces 1x
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Description

This peppered steak bite with brandy cream sauce is a new favorite of ours! It is tender and delicious with a spicy note from the pepper and a sweetness from the brandy sauce!


Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ pound lean steak, boneless (like sirloin, tri-tip, or ribeye) 
  • 2 Tablespoon VERY coarsely ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 shallot, diced small
  • 3 Tablespoon butter, divided
  • 2 Tablespoon brandy
  • ½ cup beef base
  • 2 Tablespoon heavy cream
  • Parsley, chopped for garnish (OPTIONAL)

Instructions

  1. Cut steak into ½ inch (thick) by ½ inch (wide) strips. If they are very long, cut them in half so they are about 4-6 inches long.
  2. Cover each steak strip with coarsely ground pepper and season with salt, pressing pepper into the meat. NOTE: season all four sides or just two. 
  3. Heat a heavy duty skillet, we like cast iron for this, over medium-high heat until hot.  
  4. Add olive oil to the skillet and place steak strips in a single layer in the skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes, WITHOUT MOVING. The steak should easily release from the skillet when the side is seared. Turn the strip to the next side and cook another 1-2 minutes. Continue doing this until all for sides are seared. Add additional drizzles of olive oil if needed.
  5. Remove the steak strips and set aside. 
  6. Reduce heat to medium and add diced shallots and 1 Tablespoon butter to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are soft 2-3 minutes.
  7. Add beef base to the skillet to deglaze, scraping up all the delicious little brown bits. Boil until the stock has reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. This is important since we want a very rich base here. 
  8. Add brandy and boil 1-2 minutes. Be careful as the brandy may ignite. 
  9. Add cream and cook just until you start to see bubbles form, 1-2 minutes.
  10. Remove from the heat and add remaining butter. Gently whisk until the butter is melted and combined with the sauce. 
  11. Take each steak strip and cut it into small bite sized pieces, ½ inch cubes.
  12. Serve steak bites and sauce together. Garnish with parsley (optional). 

Notes

How to tell when the steak strips are done? An internal temperature of 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit yields a medium-rare to medium-well steak. You can check the temperature, but just be aware that it is difficult to get an accurate temperature reading on a small piece of strip. We cooked ours to an internal temperature of 115-125 degrees Fahrenheit (rare) and it was a perfect medium, medium-well by the time we got the sauce done, steak cut, and served. We found 1-2 minutes per side on medium-high heat (on all four sides), for our ½ inch thick strips, was a perfect sear and perfect doneness, for us, on our steak. You can also cut the strips in half when you think they are done and confirm the inside is to your desired doneness.

Serve the steak bites with picks on a warming tray, on a platter, or in a chaffer. Serve the sauce on top of each bite or in a dish on the side. Cut the steak strips into thin slices and serve on top of Grilled Polenta Cakes. Toss steak bites and brandy cream sauce with warm pasta for a delicious pasta dish.

For a non-alcoholic version replace brandy with apple juice, pear juice, beef broth, or water.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Frying
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bite
  • Calories: 44
  • Sugar: 0.1 g
  • Sodium: 115.6 mg
  • Fat: 2.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 0.5 g
  • Protein: 3.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 12.3 mg

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