Red wine sauce

[Huskee]

I can eat and drink with the best of 'em.

[Marauderer]

That sounds great TB! Where and when??

[The Burn]

We'll need to have an international Pit Club gathering - Barry can bring some of his wine, Henrik can make some sauce, I know we have some coffee roasters on here, and the rest of will just cook, eat and drink.

[cdd315]

Nice!! Thanks for the recipe. My wife likes her steaks with a sauce .. this would have been nice with the moose I did yesterday

[Henrik]

That sounds fantastic, Marauderer!

[Marauderer]

Good looking dressing for steak!! Did I tell you I make my own wine and there is plenty in the cellar.

[Henrik]

Yes, I think I'll have to admit to myself, I am a sauce man

I did a red wine sauce yesterday (http://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/for...2637-ox-cheeks), and I liked it so much I decided to do another batch today. This sauce is just loaded with flavors, yet simple, so it doesn't hide/mask the meat.

While cooking I thought I'd take measurements so I could share. The sauce is dead easy to make, and very cheap, so go ahead and try it. It excels with all types of steaks like sirloin, porterhouse, tri tip et.c. Feel free to experiment with other spices if you like, once you have done it a few times.

Ingredients (serves 4):
3-4 shallots
2 bay leaves
1.5 cups red wine (stay away from the very cheapest stuff, it pays off)
1.5 cups hot water
2 tablespoons liquid beef stock (get a good one, not the bouillon cubes)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 single strip of bacon (very optional, but oh so good)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar

The super short version:
Mix the ingredients in a pan/skillet, and let it simmer (not boil) until it has reduced to half the amount of fluid/sauce. Sift it to get rid of onion/spices, put back into pan, and add butter. Serve!

The (slightly) longer version:
Chop the shallots, and fry them a bit in butter. Add the rest of the ingredients, minus the sugar and butter. The onions are there because they add sweetness.
Let it simmer (not boil) until it has reduced to half the original amount (for this batch it usually takes 20-30 minutes). Sift it to get rid of the onion/thyme/bacon. Pour the sauce back in the pan, and add the butter and sugar. Stir until the butter and sugar has dissolved, and taste it. If needed (purely a taste preference), add a bit more sugar.

The sauce should be a bit thin, but if you like, thicken it just a bit with corn starch.

Oh, and if you did opt for the bacon strip, good for you. The rest of the strips are well suited for pig candy. The chef must be kept in a good mood at all times

The sauce, just started simmering:



After sifting, throw the onions/et.c in the trash:


The almost ready sauce, this goes back into the pan, where butter and sugar is added:



The sirloin, "dressed" with the sauce:


Serving:
When I make this sauce, I think of it as "dressing" for the steak, so I just pour a limited amount on top of the steak, and then leave the rest of the sauce in a sauce boat on the table. If you really dig sauce, by all means, just make a double batch and have at it.

Yum! Have a great weekend, all!