Saucy

I’ve been making a bit of an effort to learn more about sauces, especially those nice rich sauces accompanying a buttery filet in fine-dining restaurants. The sauce is one of the things I miss at a typical, but nonetheless delicious, steak joint.

Here is a very simple, but almost ethereal, sauce that belongs on and around a great filet, but would be equally at home on and around the perfectly seared and roasted duck breast. [It would probably be really good on some of the more popular baby animals, but I don’t eat those so you’ll have to figure that out for yourself].

Make it easy on yourself by employing the wonderful stock products from Kitchen Basics, available at your favorite grocery store. If you have the time and the patience, feel free to make your own.

Über Easy Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients
1 750ml bottle Merlot
30 ounces chicken stock [Kitchen Basics recommended]
15 ounces beef stock [Kitchen Basics recommended]

Method
Boil wine, chicken stock and beef stock in large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour. Use immediately or cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Seared Filets w. Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon neutral oil
6 six ounce filet mignon steaks
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups Über Easy Red Wine Sauce

Method
Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Mix butter and flour in small bowl [roux]. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Place steaks in skillet seasoned side down. Season the top side. Sauté steaks until medium rare, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Add shallots, garlic and thyme to skillet; stir 30 seconds. Add wine sauce to skillet. Bring mixture to boil, scraping up any browned bits [fond]. Add roux and whisk until smooth. Boil sauce until thick enough to coat spoon, about 2 minutes.

Plate steaks and dress with sauce. Serve immediately.