Steak Recipes

Porterhouse with Peppercorn Sauce & Triple-Cooked Chips

By
Porterhouse steak in a peppercorn sauce sliced and cooked medium-rare. Served alongside triple-cooked chips and a side salad.

Such a mighty steak deserves a mighty garnish, and here, in peppercorn sauce and triple-cooked chips, we have two of the mightiest steak garnishes going. A combination which is both simple and pure.

I feel, throughout all my time spent in the realm of food, that I have spent the perfect amount of it extolling the virtues of a good chip — that is to say, a lot of time. It cannot be overstated. When executed with care and attention, they are an art form, something to be recognised and properly understood. Much like good mashed potatoes, a good chip, and I mean a really good chip, is a hard thing to make. Perfectly crisp and golden on the outside and fluffy and steaming inside. This glorious porterhouse steak couldn’t ask for a better companion.

Factor into that equation a lake of peppercorn sauce, which I haven’t even had the chance to mention. It must surely be in the running for the title of superior steak sauce – and you are about to enter into a sort of heaven, as designed by a Parisian restaurateur. Writing this is making me really want to eat it!

Serves: 2

Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients

For the chips

Method

First start with the chips:

  1. Cut the potatoes into the desired shape and size. This is purely a matter of preference. I like a medium-sized chip, not too chunky. Put them into a suitably sized pan and run them under the hottest water that your tap can produce. This is to wash away some of the starch from the potato. As they wash under the running water, move them around the pan. You will notice that the water is cloudy. Keep washing them until the water runs clean, then turn the tap to as cold as it will go and let it run for a minute.
  2. Tip away some of the water, so the pan isn’t too full, then season well with salt and set over a high heat. Bring the water to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chips. You want to find the sweet spot — cooked and offering up some fluffy edges, but not too far so that they are disintegrating.
  3. Carefully drain off the chips into a colander (too rough a touch here will smash up the chips too much) and then tip them, again with care, onto a flat tray and leave them to cool.
  4. Once cooled, place the tray in the fridge and leave for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, start the peppercorn sauce:

  1. Put the vinegar, 2 sprigs of thyme, ½ a shallot, and one teaspoon each of whole black, white, and pink peppercorns into a small pan and set over a medium heat to reduce. Once reduced by two thirds, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  2. Take a heavy-bottomed pan and set it over a medium to low heat with a good knob of butter. Add the remaining shallots, the garlic, 1 teaspoon each of black and white peppercorns (no need for the pink at this stage), and 4 sprigs of thyme, plus a good pinch of salt. Cook with a lid on, stirring regularly for 15 minutes, until soft and sweet but without too much colour.
  3. Turn the heat up and add the brandy. As the vapour rises off the pan, show it a flame and the brandy will flambee — watch your eyebrows!
  4. Once the flames have subsided, add the wine and reduce by three quarters. Then add the stock and bring it to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the stock has reduced by half.
  5. Next, add the cream and cook for a further 10-12 minutes.
  6. Pass the vinegar from earlier through a sieve and add to the sauce.
  7. Tip the sauce into a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Then pass through a sieve back into a pan.
  8. Check for seasoning at this point and adjust as necessary.
  9. Add the green peppercorns and a further teaspoon of pink peppercorns.
  10. Try again and re-adjust the seasoning as necessary. If the consistency isn’t right, then rectify it by reducing further or letting it down with a little water or stock.

Return to the chips:

  1. Heat your fryer to 125°C, and in batches, ‘blanch’ the chips for 8 minutes. Lift out of the fryer, draining away as much excess oil as possible, and return to a tray.
  2. Once all the chips have been ‘blanched’, return them to the fridge whilst you cook your steak.
  3. Take the Porterhouse out of the fridge, remove packaging, pat dry with kitchen paper, pop on a plate and allow to reach room temperature.
  4. Preheat your oven to 170°C.
  5. Season the Porterhouse well with fine sea salt.
  6. Set a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet over a medium heat, with a tiny drizzle of oil. Take the steak and stand it up in the pan with the fat facing down to begin rendering some of the fat. You will need to use a pair of tongs to prevent it from falling over. Move the steak around, so that all of the fat spends some time rendering. Cook like this for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Turn the heat up and lay the steak on its side. Cook on a high heat without flipping for 1 minute, or until a nice golden crust has formed. Then flip the steak and repeat.
  8. Turn the heat down and add a knob of butter and baste the steak in the foaming butter. Flipping from one side to the other every 30 seconds. After 2 minutes, transfer the steak onto an oven-proof tray and place it in the oven, setting a timer for 2 minutes.
  9. Remove the tray from the oven and flip the steak. Return to the oven for a further 3-4 minutes.
  10. Remove the steak from the tray and leave it to rest on a plate, somewhere warm, for at least 15 minutes.
  11. Whilst the steak is resting, turn the fryer up to 185°C.
  12. Fry the chips in batches for about 5 minutes, or until golden, crispy, and delicious. Tip into a bowl lined with kitchen towel and season well with salt.

    Carve the rested steak, warm up the sauce and get stuck in!

Order meat online

For 15 years, George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and spent five years as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. He earned praise for his simple, thoughtful cooking, with dishes rooted in the classics and always respectful of the ingredients.

In 2021, George realised a long-held ambition with the release of his first cookbook, A Year in the Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, guiding readers through the British seasons, showcasing native produce and encouraging creativity year-round.

In 2022, George left London and returned to his native Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cooking and respect for quality British ingredients have remained central to his work. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, open to new opportunities and always following his heart.

Instagram

  • The Dales never hurry themselves into spring, and this year is no different. You can drive through them and still feel winter holding on, yet something has shifted all the same. It begins quietly. Hawthorn shows along the hedgerows, just enough to catch the eye. The grass is lifting, the fields softening, losing that tired, flattened look they carry through the colder months. Out on the land, the change is clearer. Lambs are scattered across the fields, finding their feet, while cattle have been turned back out and settle easily into the pasture. There is a rhythm to it again, a sense that the farms are beginning to move. Nothing arrives all at once. It comes on steadily, almost cautiously, as the land turns back to life.
  • The fallacy of Spring lamb! When we eat lamb in early April, we aren’t eating the lovely little fluffy things people see hopping about in the fields. In fact, you’re actually eating – or at least you are if you are buying from us – old season lamb. The animals that were born the previous springtime. They are age wise, on the verge of morphing into hogget and, in our opinion, it is lamb at its very best. More flavourful as the meat has developed with age, but still with the tenderness one expects with lamb. One thing that is not in doubt is that it pairs perfectly with a lot of the seasonal ingredients of this time of year, the peas, broad beans and courgettes from the continent, plus Jersey royals, asparagus and wild garlic from these shores. We have plenty of these wonderful carcasses ageing in our fridges, so embrace the idea of eating last years spring lamb!
  • A classic of French cooking, built on combinations that have stood their ground for good reason, and long may they do so. Chicken breast roasted in brown butter, creamy mash worked with plenty of butter and dairy, and a mustard sauce brought together with cream. It reads rich, but it eats with balance. The Dijon and tarragon cut through, lifting the dish and keeping it in check.
  • A classic of French cooking, built on combinations that have stood their ground for good reason, and long may they do so. Chicken breast roasted in brown butter, creamy mash worked with plenty of butter and dairy, and a mustard sauce brought together with cream. It reads rich, but it eats with balance. The Dijon and tarragon cut through, lifting the dish and keeping it in check. This is food that does not chase anything. It knows exactly what it is.
  • Filmed on a blustery day at the Harewood House estate, Ellen talks us through the Highland cattle and the wider farming approach shaping the land here. These short films look at how the estate is guiding the land back towards what it once was, using the right livestock for the right terrain and allowing systems to work with the landscape rather than against it. Hardy cattle, able to outwinter on pasture alone, reduce the need for inputs and bring a different kind of balance to the farm. For chefs, this is where the story begins. The flavour comes later, but it is built here, in the fields, through decisions made over time rather than in a single season. It is a strong example of thoughtful farming, where lower inputs and careful management can support both the land and a sustainable margin, all driven by a clear intention to make the estate work for nature as much as it does for people.
  • We love it when a plan comes together! And this little project with @llewelynslondon provides a great example. It all started with a trip up to Swaledale HQ, to see the butchery and meet the team; bacon, black pudding and egg baps were laid on fo breakfast. Then it was off to see one of our network of farmers; Jim Mallender, over in Thornton in craven. Jim and his family showed us round and held a sort of farming Q&A. Then we cooked some cuts on a bbq and sampled the llewelyns take on a hotpot. Truly bringing farmers and chef together and a wonderful day for all involved. Off the back of the visit a special dinner an d a three course menu of dreams. It celebrates not just our produce and their cooking but also the 6 beautiful years that head chef michael (@skinnylittlefatman) has spent at the helm of this charming restaurant. We are extremely excited to eat and drink tonight to celebrate all those things.
  • There might not be a food that is more of this generation than fried chicken. It’s eminently Instagram-able (or TikTok-able depending on your age), malleable to various cuisines and extremely delicious. Plus, it has just the right amount of technique, if you know what I mean. The sort of thing that, if you’re not giving it the requisite thought and attention, can be a bit ropey. No danger of that here though… @Grylos has given it the Swaledale treatment, i.e. keeping it simple, making it delicious and showing off our incredible meat. So, with no more than a saffron aioli, some shredded iceberg and a few sliced pickles, this is the fried chicken burger of dreams! Oh, sorry, nearly forgot the crispy chicken skin – told you there was just the right amount of technique. There are few things that we would want to munch down for lunch more than one of these bad boys. Give ‘em a whirl!
  • Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation. For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it. If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
The Dales never hurry themselves into spring, and this year is no different. You can drive through them and still feel winter holding on, yet something has shifted all the same. It begins quietly. Hawthorn shows along the hedgerows, just enough to catch the eye. The grass is lifting, the fields softening, losing that tired, flattened look they carry through the colder months. Out on the land, the change is clearer. Lambs are scattered across the fields, finding their feet, while cattle have been turned back out and settle easily into the pasture. There is a rhythm to it again, a sense that the farms are beginning to move. Nothing arrives all at once. It comes on steadily, almost cautiously, as the land turns back to life.
The Dales never hurry themselves into spring, and this year is no different. You can drive through them and still feel winter holding on, yet something has shifted all the same. It begins quietly. Hawthorn shows along the hedgerows, just enough to catch the eye. The grass is lifting, the fields softening, losing that tired, flattened look they carry through the colder months. Out on the land, the change is clearer. Lambs are scattered across the fields, finding their feet, while cattle have been turned back out and settle easily into the pasture. There is a rhythm to it again, a sense that the farms are beginning to move. Nothing arrives all at once. It comes on steadily, almost cautiously, as the land turns back to life.
The Dales never hurry themselves into spring, and this year is no different. You can drive through them and still feel winter holding on, yet something has shifted all the same. It begins quietly. Hawthorn shows along the hedgerows, just enough to catch the eye. The grass is lifting, the fields softening, losing that tired, flattened look they carry through the colder months. Out on the land, the change is clearer. Lambs are scattered across the fields, finding their feet, while cattle have been turned back out and settle easily into the pasture. There is a rhythm to it again, a sense that the farms are beginning to move. Nothing arrives all at once. It comes on steadily, almost cautiously, as the land turns back to life.
The Dales never hurry themselves into spring, and this year is no different. You can drive through them and still feel winter holding on, yet something has shifted all the same. It begins quietly. Hawthorn shows along the hedgerows, just enough to catch the eye. The grass is lifting, the fields softening, losing that tired, flattened look they carry through the colder months. Out on the land, the change is clearer. Lambs are scattered across the fields, finding their feet, while cattle have been turned back out and settle easily into the pasture. There is a rhythm to it again, a sense that the farms are beginning to move. Nothing arrives all at once. It comes on steadily, almost cautiously, as the land turns back to life.
The Dales never hurry themselves into spring, and this year is no different. You can drive through them and still feel winter holding on, yet something has shifted all the same. It begins quietly. Hawthorn shows along the hedgerows, just enough to catch the eye. The grass is lifting, the fields softening, losing that tired, flattened look they carry through the colder months. Out on the land, the change is clearer. Lambs are scattered across the fields, finding their feet, while cattle have been turned back out and settle easily into the pasture. There is a rhythm to it again, a sense that the farms are beginning to move. Nothing arrives all at once. It comes on steadily, almost cautiously, as the land turns back to life.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
The Dales never hurry themselves into spring, and this year is no different. You can drive through them and still feel winter holding on, yet something has shifted all the same. It begins quietly. Hawthorn shows along the hedgerows, just enough to catch the eye. The grass is lifting, the fields softening, losing that tired, flattened look they carry through the colder months. Out on the land, the change is clearer. Lambs are scattered across the fields, finding their feet, while cattle have been turned back out and settle easily into the pasture. There is a rhythm to it again, a sense that the farms are beginning to move. Nothing arrives all at once. It comes on steadily, almost cautiously, as the land turns back to life.
1 day ago
331
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1/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
The fallacy of Spring lamb! When we eat lamb in early April, we aren’t eating the lovely little fluffy things people see hopping about in the fields. In fact, you’re actually eating – or at least you are if you are buying from us – old season lamb. The animals that were born the previous springtime. They are age wise, on the verge of morphing into hogget and, in our opinion, it is lamb at its very best. More flavourful as the meat has developed with age, but still with the tenderness one expects with lamb. One thing that is not in doubt is that it pairs perfectly with a lot of the seasonal ingredients of this time of year, the peas, broad beans and courgettes from the continent, plus Jersey royals, asparagus and wild garlic from these shores. We have plenty of these wonderful carcasses ageing in our fridges, so embrace the idea of eating last years spring lamb!
1 week ago
622
View on Instagram |
2/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
A classic of French cooking, built on combinations that have stood their ground for good reason, and long may they do so. Chicken breast roasted in brown butter, creamy mash worked with plenty of butter and dairy, and a mustard sauce brought together with cream. It reads rich, but it eats with balance. The Dijon and tarragon cut through, lifting the dish and keeping it in check.
3 weeks ago
7
View on Instagram |
3/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
A classic of French cooking, built on combinations that have stood their ground for good reason, and long may they do so. Chicken breast roasted in brown butter, creamy mash worked with plenty of butter and dairy, and a mustard sauce brought together with cream. It reads rich, but it eats with balance. The Dijon and tarragon cut through, lifting the dish and keeping it in check. This is food that does not chase anything. It knows exactly what it is.
3 weeks ago
535
View on Instagram |
4/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
Filmed on a blustery day at the Harewood House estate, Ellen talks us through the Highland cattle and the wider farming approach shaping the land here. These short films look at how the estate is guiding the land back towards what it once was, using the right livestock for the right terrain and allowing systems to work with the landscape rather than against it. Hardy cattle, able to outwinter on pasture alone, reduce the need for inputs and bring a different kind of balance to the farm. For chefs, this is where the story begins. The flavour comes later, but it is built here, in the fields, through decisions made over time rather than in a single season. It is a strong example of thoughtful farming, where lower inputs and careful management can support both the land and a sustainable margin, all driven by a clear intention to make the estate work for nature as much as it does for people.
4 weeks ago
64
View on Instagram |
5/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We love it when a plan comes together! And this little project with @llewelynslondon provides a great example. It all started with a trip up to Swaledale HQ, to see the butchery and meet the team; bacon, black pudding and egg baps were laid on fo breakfast. Then it was off to see one of our network of farmers; Jim Mallender, over in Thornton in craven. Jim and his family showed us round and held a sort of farming Q&A. Then we cooked some cuts on a bbq and sampled the llewelyns take on a hotpot. Truly bringing farmers and chef together and a wonderful day for all involved. Off the back of the visit a special dinner an d a three course menu of dreams. It celebrates not just our produce and their cooking but also the 6 beautiful years that head chef michael (@skinnylittlefatman) has spent at the helm of this charming restaurant. We are extremely excited to eat and drink tonight to celebrate all those things.
4 weeks ago
58
View on Instagram |
6/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
There might not be a food that is more of this generation than fried chicken. It’s eminently Instagram-able (or TikTok-able depending on your age), malleable to various cuisines and extremely delicious. Plus, it has just the right amount of technique, if you know what I mean. The sort of thing that, if you’re not giving it the requisite thought and attention, can be a bit ropey. No danger of that here though… @Grylos has given it the Swaledale treatment, i.e. keeping it simple, making it delicious and showing off our incredible meat. So, with no more than a saffron aioli, some shredded iceberg and a few sliced pickles, this is the fried chicken burger of dreams! Oh, sorry, nearly forgot the crispy chicken skin – told you there was just the right amount of technique. There are few things that we would want to munch down for lunch more than one of these bad boys. Give ‘em a whirl!
1 month ago
665
View on Instagram |
7/8
Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation. For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it. If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation. For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it. If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation. For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it. If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
Always good to welcome chefs to the butchery. Earlier this week the teams from @llewelynslondon came up to see us. We showed them around the cutting room, talked through how we work, then headed up the hill for a bit of cooking and conversation. For many chefs it is the first chance to see the whole journey. From the farms and fields where the animals are raised, through our ageing rooms, and finally into the kitchens that cook it. If you are a chef and fancy a visit this year, you would be very welcome. Send us a message and we will put the kettle on.
1 month ago
52
View on Instagram |
8/8