Teach Your Steak to Make Its Own Sauce

Grilling may be the popular way to cook steak, but a sauteed steak has a major advantage over a grilled one: It makes its own sauce.

In the few minutes a steak is in the skillet, it leaves a residue of flavor in the form of caramelized meat juices. They become the basis of a sauce made by deglazing--adding a small amount of liquid to dissolve the brown bits, or, as a chef I studied with in Paris described it, “rinsing out the pan with wine.”

Pan sauces are concentrated essences served in small amounts. The sauce should taste a bit strong so it will have enough flavor to complement the steak. For a sauce with more body, thicken it with potato starch or cornstarch dissolved in liquid to make a slurry. When using a favorite wine, boost its contribution by dissolving the starch in wine.

Leave your sauce as is, or add another layer of flavor. The French feel that steak goes with subtle seasonings such as fresh thyme, parsley and chives and stands up to strong ones too, like tarragon, Dijon mustard and Roquefort cheese. The Chinese trio of stir-fried ginger, garlic and green onion, along with a dash of soy sauce, perks up a sauce based on wine, broth or orange juice. For a south-of-the-border accent, add chopped jalapenos, green onions and cilantro. My husband adds his mother’s spices to a broth-based sauce for Middle Eastern flavor--cumin, turmeric and a healthy dose of black pepper.

You can make a pan sauce for any sauteed tender meat, such as duck breasts, veal chops and boneless chicken breasts and thighs, and for roasts as well.

Faye Levy is the author of “Fresh From France: Dinner Inspirations” (Dutton, 1989).

You can substitute other dried mushrooms for the porcinis; if using shiitakes, discard their tough stems after soaking. If you don’t have a large skillet, use 2 skillets to cook the steaks, cook the shallots and deglaze with the wine. Then pour the wine into 1 skillet, reduce it to 1/4 cup and continue. For nonalcoholic options, use broth, tomato juice or fruit juice.

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Rib-Eye Steak With Red Wine and Porcini Sauce

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 35 minutes

3/4 to 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

2 to 4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup veal or beef stock or canned beef or chicken broth, preferably low-salt

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 1/2 to 2 pounds steaks, such as rib-eye, top loin (New York) or tenderloin, about 3/4 to 1 inch thick

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoons minced shallots

3/4 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

1 1/2 teaspoons potato starch, arrowroot or cornstarch, optional

2 teaspoons minced parsley, optional

2 teaspoons finely snipped chives, optional

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon, optional

Dash sugar, optional

Cover the mushrooms with hot water and soak for 30 minutes. If you’d like to enrich the sauce with butter, cut 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in 1/2-tablespoon pieces and refrigerate them. Heat the oven to 180 degrees or its lowest setting.

Remove the mushrooms from the water and cut in 1/2-inch pieces. Place them in a saucepan with the stock and thyme. Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until the mixture is reduced to about 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Cover and reserve.

Pat the steaks dry. Trim the fat from their edges. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat until the butter melts and its foam begins to subside. Add the steaks and cook the first side for 2 or 3 minutes, regulating the heat so the fat does not burn. Turn the steaks and cook until done to your taste, about 2 or 3 minutes. To check for doneness, press a steak with your finger: If the meat does not resist, it is rare; if it resists slightly, it is medium-rare. (If you are not sure, make a small cut in its thickest part and check its color inside.) Immediately transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep them in the oven.

Pour off the fat from the skillet, and melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Boil the wine, stirring often, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes.

Pour the wine into the porcini mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. To thicken the sauce, put the potato starch in a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of water until blended. Gradually whisk half of the potato starch slurry into the simmering sauce. Return to a boil, stirring. For a thicker sauce, gradually stir in the remaining slurry and return to a boil.

To enrich the sauce with butter, reduce the heat to low and add the cold butter pieces one by one, shaking the saucepan to blend them into the sauce. Off the heat, stir in the parsley, chives and/or tarragon. Taste and adjust seasoning; if necessary, add sugar to balance the wine’s acidity. Spoon the sauce over or around the steaks and serve.

4 servings. Each serving: 576 calories; 244 mg sodium; 136 mg cholesterol; 45 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 35 grams protein; 0.17 gram fiber.