Pepper Cream Gravy: German/Austrian Pfefferrahmsauce

Besides the form "Pfefferrahmsauce," I used in the title, this gravy/sauce is also called and spelled "Pfefferrahmsoße," "Pfefferrahmsosse" in German. The "rahm" part is a word for "cream" in German, and it is a close relative of English "ream," a word with that same meaning now confined to dialect,* (not related to the word of the same spelling and used for a "paper measurement"). The gravy has some "zip" from the crushed peppercorns and the ground pepper, but the "zip" is also mellowed by the cream, and the heat is nothing like the heat in dishes which have hot chilies added. This gravy is a frequent accompaniment to steak, pork or even chicken (I replace the beef stock with chicken stock in the recipe then). 
 
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, pretty finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour 
2/3 cup beef stock
2 ounces brandy
3 tablespoons green peppercorns, crushed, but not obliterated
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream (or canned milk), keep 4 tablespoons separate
salt (if the beef stock is salty, you can leave this out or just use a small amount)

Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the onion and saute until the onion softens a bit. Add the crushed green peppercorns,** the ground black pepper, the lemon juice, the brandy and the beef stock. Increase the temperature to medium high and let the mixture come to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and turn the heat to high. Let the mixture well up/bubble up, stirring "almost" constantly. Have the 4 tablespoons of heavy cream well mixed with the 2 tablespoons of flour; gradually add this to the hot liquid, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens. Turn down the heat to low and let the gravy simmer for just a minute. Served over steak or chopped steak, along with mashed potatoes. 

* For the history of the word "ream," here is the link to the article with that word: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/04/schnitzel-with-creamy-mushroom-gravy.html

** I wrap the whole peppercorns in a napkin or paper towel, then I use a kitchen mallet to tap and crush them. I've also used a rolling pin to roll over the wrapped peppercorns to crush them, and I have also crushed them by using a mortar and pestle.   

Pepper Cream Gravy with chopped sirloin steak, mashed potatoes and buttered corn... 

WORD HISTORY:
Vial-The ultimate origin of this word is unknown, and the beginning has been spelled with an "f," "ph," or "v" in a number of languages, including German, a close relative of English, in which its version was initially spelled with an "f," then a "v" and then a "ph" (modern "Phiole"). It goes back to transliterated Ancient Greek "phiále," meaning, "a shallow bowl for drinking," which was borrowed by Latin as "phiala," with the same meaning, and which later altered to "phiola." This passed to Old French as "fiole," but by then with the meaning, "bottle or small flask." This was borrowed by English circa 1400, initially as "fiole," then as "viole," then as "phial," and then as "vial," although some still spell it with the "ph," which returned the spelling to the old Latin and Greek forms (seemingly the same in German, as noted above).