Pan-Seared Steaks with Red Wine Butter Sauce
Category
Meat-Based Recipes
Servings
4
Take it from us: there's nothing more tempting than a luscious steak with a French wine-butter sauce. However, butter sauces often have mounds of butter. We find that if the wine and stock are well reduced, you'll only need about a tablespoon of butter per serving. Because everything counts in this minimalist preparation, choose fine wine, butter, meat, and, of course, demi-glace.
Ingredients
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4 6- to 8-ounce shell steaks, blotted dry
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Salt and ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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1/4 cup chopped shallots
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3/4 cup dry red wine (preferably one with soft tannins like a Merlot or a Pinot Noir)
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1 tablespoon Demi-Glace Gold® dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
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4-5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Methods/Steps
Heat a platter or plates in a 200° oven.
Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. On the stove, heat a large cast iron skillet (or another type of heavy skillet) over high heat until very hot. Add the vegetable oil, then the steaks, and sauté until the meat reaches desired doneness (2 minutes on each side for rare, 3 minutes for medium-rare). Transfer the steaks to the oven and discard the excess fat from the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the shallots to the pan, and sauté them for 20 seconds. Pour in the wine and the diluted Demi-Glace Gold®, stirring to incorporate all the browned cooking bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Add the chopped parsley and season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, cut the steaks into slices across the grain of the meat. Serve the meat with the sauce spooned over it.
Additional Tips
Wine Pairing: a bold red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or red Bordeaux.