Soak the mushrooms in the stock for 15 minutes. Swish them around, then remove the mushrooms, strain the juice and reserve. If your mushrooms are large cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Peppercorns
Grind the peppercorns by hand in a mortar and pestle until coarse, then sift as pictured above..
Steak
Season the hanger steak with salt, then roll in the crushed peppercorns, pressing down hard to make them stick.
Heat the oil in the pan, then brown the steak on each side on medium-high heat about 3 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove from the heat and allow the steaks to rest in a warm place.
Add the shallot and a tablespoon of butter to the pan. Cook on medium heat for a minute, then add the mushrooms and cook 2 minutes more de-glaze with the brandy and reduce until nearly dry
Add the mushroom stock and reduce again.
When the liquid in the pan is reduced to about 1 cup, roll the remaining tablespoon of butter in flour, then whisk in to the sauce and reduce until thickened to your liking. Add any juices from the steak, and adjust the season for salt if needed.
Serving
The steak is pictured thinly sliced, but it's easier to reheat the steaks uncut in the for a minute at home before serving.
Notes
Steak You can use lots of different steaks here, but hanger steak is my favorite.Serving The steak is shown thinly sliced, but it's easier to serve them in one piece at home.The Heat Adjust the heat by not rolling your entire steak in peppecorns, if you or your loved ones are on the fence, start with crusting one side, or mixing the peppercorns 50/50 with ground dried mushrooms.