Red Wine Reduction Sauce For Steak (Bordelaise)
Bordelaise sauce is a simple way to take your steak to the next level. Made with red wine, shallots, and beef stock, this classic French sauce delivers deep, umami flavor with a smooth, velvety texture. It’s easier than you think, and the results are well worth it.
Servings: 8
Calories: 108kcal
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 shallots finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 3 cups beef stock or pan juices*
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add shallots with a pinch of salt, then cook until softened and just starting to turn golden, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in flour, then slowly whisk in red wine and beef stock. Bring up to a simmer and cook until reduced by half and thickened.
- Set a fine mesh strainer over another saucepan, then strain the mixture, being sure to press down to extract every last bit of liquid. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- With the pan over low heat whisk in the butter until the sauce looks glossy and emulsified. Remove from the heat, then serve immediately.
Notes
- For best results, use good quality, homemade beef stock and/or the drippings and pan juices from roasting a piece of beef or cooking a steak.
- To use pan juices, after cooking a steak or roast, remove excess fat from the pan, then deglaze with 1 cup of water to loosen up the browned bits on the bottom. Pour into a liquid measuring up and add additional beef stock as needed to achieve 3 cups total for the bordelaise.
- When whisking in the butter, it’s important that the heat not be too high and that the butter be cold so that the sauce emulsifies properly. If the sauce gets too hot at this point or it sits in the pan too long, it could break.
- The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when finished - if it's too thin, continue reducing; if too thick, add a splash of stock.
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer at medium-high heat during reduction.
- For maximum flavor, make the sauce in the same pan used to cook your steaks, incorporating all those flavorful browned bits.
Nutrition
Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.4mg
