Steakhouse Red Wine Pan Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The sauce that turns a good home-cooked steak into a special-occasion one: shallots softened in the same skillet you seared in, red wine cooked down to a syrup, stock reduced until it coats a spoon, then a cold knob of butter swirled in off the heat for gloss. It takes about ten minutes of active work after the steak comes out of the pan, which is exactly how long the meat needs to rest.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless steaks, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (ribeye, strip or sirloin), about 12 oz each
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
• kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 2 large shallots, finely minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 1/4 cups dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah)
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock or veal stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

• 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 cubes
• kosher salt, to taste
• flaky sea salt and chopped chives, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Pat the steaks very dry and season generously on all sides with kosher salt and coarse black pepper. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes if you have time — dry surface means better browning, and browning is where this sauce comes from.
2. Heat a heavy stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high until a drop of water skitters and evaporates instantly, about 3 minutes. Add the neutral oil, swirl, and lay in the steaks. Sear undisturbed 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare (125°F on an instant-read thermometer), pressing lightly so the whole surface contacts the pan. Transfer to a cutting board or rack, tent loosely with foil, and rest at least 10 minutes while you build the sauce. Do not wash the skillet — the browned crust stuck to the bottom is the entire point.
3. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Return it to medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter, then the minced shallots and smashed garlic. Cook, stirring and scraping constantly with a wooden spoon, until the shallots are soft and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. If the fond looks dangerously dark, drop the heat immediately.
4. Push the shallots aside, add the tomato paste to a bare spot, and fry it for 45 seconds until it darkens to brick red and smells sweet. Stir it into the shallots.
5. Pour in the red wine and raise the heat to medium-high. As it bubbles, scrape hard at the bottom of the pan until every bit of fond dissolves into the liquid. Add the thyme and bay leaf and reduce, stirring occasionally, until the wine is thick and syrupy and a spatula drawn across the pan leaves a clear trail — about 6 to 8 minutes, down to roughly 1/4 cup. Reducing the wine this far before the stock goes in is what removes the raw, sharp edge.
6. Add the beef stock along with any juices that have pooled under the resting steaks. Simmer at a steady, energetic bubble until reduced by about two-thirds, 8 to 12 minutes. You want roughly 3/4 cup of glossy liquid that lightly coats the back of a spoon and looks a shade darker than the stock did going in.
7. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan or heatproof bowl, pressing the solids with a spoon to extract everything, then discard the solids. (For a rustic sauce with texture, skip straining and just fish out the thyme, bay leaf and garlic.)
8. Return the strained sauce to low heat — it should be steaming but not simmering. Add the cold butter one cube at a time, swirling the pan or whisking constantly and waiting until each piece has nearly disappeared before adding the next. The sauce will turn opaque, thicken slightly and take on a satiny shine. This takes about 1 minute; if it ever boils, the butter will break and the sauce will look greasy.
9. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and taste. Add salt in small pinches until the flavor snaps into focus — reduced stock needs less salt than you'd expect, so go slowly. Serve immediately.
10. Slice the rested steak against the grain, arrange on warm plates, and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce over or alongside each portion. Finish with flaky salt and chives if you like.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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