Ingredients

• 450 g beef top round steak
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, pounded using mortar and pestle
• 100 ml red wine
• 100 ml beef stock, from 1/2 cube
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp water
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or runny honey
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon peppercorn, pounded using mortar and pestle
• fresh thyme leave

Instructions

1. For the marinade, mix well all ingredients. Place steaks in a resealable plastic bag, add marinade, close, shake to coat the steaks and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.

2. Take the steaks out of the marinade and cook (without any oil) in a well-heated frying pan on medium high heat for about 2 minutes on each side. Place the cooked steaks on a plate and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat the saucepan used to cook the steaks. Add red wine and deglaze the pan. Simmer for a few seconds to allow the alcohol to evaporate.

4. Add remaining crushed black pepper, beef broth, liquid collected from the cooked steak, cream and Worcester sauce. Simmer for few minutes and thicken the sauce with cornstarch solution.

5. Arrange cooked steak on a plate with basmati rice. Ladle black pepper sauce over the steak and serve immediately.

6. Serve with plain Basmati rice and green salad.