Steak with Peppercorn Sauce & Brussels Sprouts

Bring pot with orange mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. (TIP: Cover pot with a lid to bring to a boil faster.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain orange simple syrup over a medium bowl; discard orange slices. Stir vinegar, jam, and dried cherries into hot syrup. Place bowl in refrigerator to cool while preparing the rest of your meal.

Trim and halve Brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut potatoes into ½-inch-thick wedges. Halve, peel, and mince shallot. Peel and roughly chop garlic. Place peppercorns in a zip-close bag and crush with a heavy-bottomed pan or rolling pin.

Toss Brussels sprouts on one side of a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, spread Brussels sprouts across entire sheet.)

Toss potatoes on empty side of sheet with a large drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast on top rack until veggies are browned and tender, 20-25 minutes. (For 4, toss potatoes on a second baking sheet; roast on top and middle racks, swapping rack positions halfway through.)

Meanwhile, pat steak* dry with paper towels; season generously all over with salt and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook to desired doneness, 5-7 minutes per side.

Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board. Wipe out pan.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard.

Melt 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) in pan used for steak over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 30-60 seconds.

Stir in stock concentrates, ¼ cup water, and ½ tsp peppercorns (⅓ cup water and 1 tsp peppercorns for 4). (TIP: Be sure to measure the peppercorns.) Simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Turn off heat. Stir in another 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) until melted; season with salt, pepper, and more peppercorns if desired.

Pour ¼ cup simple syrup and ¼ cup still or sparkling water in glasses. (TIP: We used short glasses for this amount, but feel free to use taller glasses and double the amount of syrup and water!) Fill glasses with ice and stir thoroughly. Garnish with a twist of reserved orange zest and a few cherries from the syrup to taste. TIP: If you prefer your drinks sweeter, add another splash of syrup!