Red Wine Vinegar, Shallot and Garlic Reduction Sauce for Steaks

I made this the first time, and turned around to see my dinner quests licking their plates. Of course one was my brother and he was leading the way, but it was still a good indication of how well this sauce turned out.

I was already pretty confident in my steaks. If you haven't had a chance, check out Ribeye Steak - How to Cut and Grill a Ribeye. I went into depth there about this incredible cut of meat. But in that case I used a grill, and this time I had a cast iron skillet. While you're at it - check out the article on seasoning a cast iron skillet.

As much as I love my grill, there is one major drawback, and that is there are no pan juices with a grill. Pan juices and the little brown bits stuck to the skillet are the key ingredients to this gorgeous sauce. Those bits are called fond, and we are certainly fond of them. They have amazing flavor.

In this sauce you're using a technique called deglazing - using a liquid to pull those beautiful bits off the pan and into the sauce - where they will amaze your taste buds instead of going down the drain or into the dishwasher. They do nobody any good there.

Give this a shot - this sauce will work with any steak that takes a hot, quick sear. Filet, NY Strip, heck - stick it on a porterhouse! This recipe serves two well, and it doubles very easily.

You'll first need to pan sear a steak - cast iron is best because it can handle the high heat, and maintain a nice even temperature. But any skillet will do.

Once the steak come out of the skillet, place it on a plate, cover it with foil and turn the heat to medium. Then you'll need:

1/4 cup good beef stock - preferably homemade

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbl butter

1. Saute the garlic and shallot in the hot pan for about two minutes, or just until beginning to release their moisture and become fragrant.
2. Add beef stock and red wine vinegar, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Allow to simmer for about 7-8 minutes, still stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/3 of the original volume. The sauce will obtain a nearly syrupy consistency.
4. Turn off the heat, and add the butter to the pan. This is called mounting the sauce. Stir well. The sauce will turn glossy - the texture is incredible.
5. Immediately pour over the warm steak and serve.