Place your whole peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Crush them roughly until they are in large pieces. Do not grind them into a fine powder.

Mince your shallots into very small, even pieces. Place a saucepan over a medium heat setting now. Add a small knob of butter to the pan.

Add the minced shallots to the melted butter. Sauté them for two minutes until they are soft. They should look translucent but not dark brown.

Add the crushed peppercorns to the pan with shallots. Stir them for one minute to release their oils. This makes the sauce smell very aromatic and spicy.

Pour the brandy into the pan very carefully. Let the alcohol bubble and reduce by half. This step removes the raw alcohol taste completely.

Stir in the beef stock and the Dijon mustard. Turn the heat up to bring it to boil. Let the liquid reduce and thicken for three minutes.

Pour the heavy cream into the saucepan slowly. Whisk constantly as the sauce starts to thicken up. Lower the heat so it does not boil over.

Add a final piece of cold butter at the end. Whisk it in until the sauce is glossy and thick. Add a pinch of salt to finish the flavor.