Red Wine Pan Sauce
This is the move to make immediately after your steak or pork chop comes off the heat. It turns the scorched bits stuck to the bottom of the pan into the highlight of your meal.
Watch your heat levels closely.
The pan should be hot from searing the protein. If the bits in the pan are black and bitter, they will ruin the sauce; you only want the dark brown, nutty bits.
- stainless steel or cast iron skillet
- wooden spoon or flat heat-proof spatula
- whisk
What goes in.
- 1/2 cupdry red wine (cabernet or merlot works well)
- 1/2 cupbeef or chicken stock
- 1 smallshallot, minced
- 2 tbspcold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 sprigfresh thyme (optional)
Scraping the fond
When the wine hits the hot pan, use your spoon to scrub the surface firmly. That layer of brown stuff, called fond, is the flavor base for the entire sauce.
The method.
Sauté the shallots
Leave about a teaspoon of fat in the pan from your meat. Over medium heat, cook the minced shallot for 60 seconds until softened.
Deglaze
Pour in the wine. It will hiss and steam aggressively. Scrape the bottom of the pan with your spoon until the liquid becomes dark and smooth.
Reduce
Add the stock and the thyme sprig. Let it simmer rapidly until the volume is reduced by half and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Mount with butter
Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time. This emulsifies the sauce, giving it a heavy, glossy sheen.
Other turns to take.
Balsamic Finish
Add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar along with the wine for extra acidity.
Mustard Edge
Whisk in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard during the final step for a sharper bite.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use a dry wine; sweet wines like Port or late-harvest varieties make the sauce cloying.
If the sauce is too thin, keep simmering; the pectin in the stock will eventually thicken it.
Do not skip the cold butter; it is the only way to get a smooth, professional texture.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use a non-stick pan?
You can, but you will not get much fond. Non-stick surfaces are designed to prevent bits from sticking, which is the exact opposite of what you want for a pan sauce.
What if my sauce breaks?
If the sauce looks oily or separated, whisk in a tablespoon of cold water vigorously off the heat to pull the emulsion back together.
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