Red Wine and Shallot Pan Sauce
In short: A glossy sauce of red wine, shallot, thyme and beef stock, reduced and finished with cold butter. A quick partner for steak, lamb or roast beef. It takes about 30 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 120 kcal
A pan sauce takes the browned bits left after searing meat and turns them into something rich in about twenty minutes. Here, shallots soften in the same pan, red wine and stock reduce to a syrupy glaze, and cold butter whisked in at the end gives it gloss and body. It suits steak, pork chops, lamb, duck and roasted mushrooms. Use a dry red wine you would happily drink, because a sweet or oaky one tastes harsh once reduced.
Instructions
- Cook your steak or chops in a skillet and set the meat aside to rest. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and leave the browned bits in the pan. Or start with the olive oil in a clean saucepan.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the shallots with a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic, thyme and tomato paste for 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until the wine has reduced by about two-thirds and looks syrupy.
- Add the stock and the vinegar. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes more, until the sauce has reduced to about 250 ml (1 cup) and coats the back of a spoon.
- Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cold butter a cube at a time until glossy. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if it tastes sharp.
- Strain the sauce for a smooth finish, or leave the shallots in. Pour any juices from the resting meat into the sauce and serve at once.
Tips
- Add the juices that collect under the resting meat to the sauce at the end. They add flavor and body.
- For a vegetarian version, use mushroom or vegetable stock and olive oil in place of beef stock and butter, and serve it with mushrooms, roasted cauliflower or lentils.
Questions and answers
Can I make red wine sauce ahead of time?
Yes. Make it through step 4 and keep it in the fridge for 3 days or freeze it for 2 months. Reheat it, then whisk in the cold butter just before serving.
What kind of red wine should I use for the sauce?
Choose a dry, fruity, medium-bodied red such as merlot or cabernet. Avoid sweet wines and salted cooking wines.
Does the alcohol cook out of the sauce?
Much of it does, but not all of it. If you need an alcohol-free sauce, use extra stock and a splash of red wine vinegar in place of the wine.
How long does it take to make Red Wine and Shallot Pan Sauce?
About 30 min in total: 10 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Red Wine and Shallot Pan Sauce?
About 120 kcal per serving, with 2 g of protein, 7 g of carbohydrates and 9 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 120 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 330 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
