Instructions

1. Thicken your pepper steak sauce by boiling it -- a process that is known as reducing. The longer the pepper sauce boils on a low flame, the thicker it will get. Keep an eye on the sauce and stir it frequently as it reduces and thickens to the consistency you desire.

2. Add an egg yolk to the pepper sauce and whisk it together. Add the egg slowly, especially if you’re heating the sauce over a flame. If you add the yolk too quickly, you could end up with a scrambled egg.

3. Make a roux to add to your pepper sauce. Combine an equal amount of flour with vegetable oil or shortening. Whisk the mixture into the pepper steak sauce, bring to a boil and simmer. Popular in Cajun dishes, a roux (pronounced “roo”) will add some fat to your sauce, but it will thicken it nicely, too.

4. Combine water and cornstarch to make a slurry to thicken your pepper sauce. As a rule of thumb, use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 cup of water. Be sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved before adding the slurry to your pepper sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.

5. Puree some vegetables to add to the pepper sauce to thicken it and enhance its flavor. The obvious choices are green, yellow and red peppers, but you could use red or black beans, too.

6. Bring an unexpected touch to your pepper steak sauce by adding finely ground nuts. Experiment with a small amount of nuts and sauce first, as nuts might alter the flavor of the sauce -- and affect your five-star review.