Classic French Steak Sauce Food

CLASSIC FRENCH BEARNAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Tie the peppercorns and 2 tarragon sprigs in cheesecloth and secure with butcher's twine to make a sachet. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, shallots and sachet and simmer over low heat until the liquid is evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool; discard the sachet.
• In a medium bowl set over a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. Heat, whisking constantly, until the yolks are pale and slightly thickened. Slowly ladle in the clarified butter, whisking constantly, until the sauce is emulsified. If sauce looks like it is getting too thick, add water by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency. Remove from the heat and add the chopped tarragon and 1 tablespoon of the shallots. Season with salt and pepper.

CLASSIC ENTRECOTE BORDELAISE - STEAK IN RED WINE WITH SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Sauté the steaks.
• Season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the pan to smoking point and add half the butter. Place the steak in the pan and brown it on both sides - give it about two to three minutes on each side to seal it first, then let the meat cook through to your taste. Do both steaks in this way and then set them aside.
• Cook the shallots.
• In the same pan, (drain excess butter if needed), cook the shallots. Put them in the pan and stir from time to time until they are soft and starting to turn golden.
• Deglaze the pan.
• When the shallots are done add the red wine to the pan and give it a good stir.
• Now, add the demi glace or beef stock to the pan and stir until everything is blended, then leave it to simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced.
• Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and add them to the sauce one at a time, mixing so that they melt into the mixture: this will give the sauce a rich flavour and give it an appetising glossy finish,.
• Plate the dish.
• Cut the meat across the grain into thick slices and arrange them on a plate.
• Add some chopped parsley to the sauce, then pour little of the sauce over each steak.
• Serve the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat.
• You might like to serve it with sauté potatoes, frites and some haricot verts.

CLASSIC FRENCH BORDELAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small saucepan, place the red wine, shallots, thyme, and bay leaf and set over medium heat.
• Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and continue to cook to reduce the contents to half of the original volume.
• Add the beef stock to the pan and bring the mixture up to a boil again.
• Using a tablespoon, skim and discard any foam that appears on top of the sauce.
• Continue cooking the Bordelaise by another 50% or until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon-otherwise known as having a nappe consistency. In total, the Bordelaise should have reduced by 75% of its original volume by now.
• Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Use on grilled steak or slow-roasted beef and enjoy.

A CLASSIC STEAK FRITES RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the butter, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, chives, mustard, and Worcestershire in a mixing bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine. Reserve on the countertop. Preheat a grill, grill pan, or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Season the steak all over with salt and plenty of black pepper. Cook the steaks, turning frequently, for about 8 minutes total (depending on the thickness), until well browned on both sides and firm but still easily yielding to the touch. Rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Top each steak with one-fourth of the butter, and serve with the hot fries from our Crispy Oven-Baked Fries recipe.

CLASSIC PEPPERCORN STEAK SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• In the same pan that you browned the steak, deglaze with the brandy/cognac over medium heat, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. When the brandy/cognac has reduced a bit, stir in the beef broth and cream. Add the peppercorns and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened to your liking. Season with salt to taste.

CLASSIC FRENCH STEAK AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes or until it has reduced by about half.
• Enjoy!

STEAK DIANE

Steps:

• Season both sides of the steaks with a generous grind of sea salt and lesser grind of freshly ground pepper.
• Heat almost a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Reduce the temperature to medium-high once the pan is really hot, and place the steaks in the pan. Cook each side for about 2.5 to 3 minutes, for a medium-rare steak.
• Temporarily remove the steak from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board. Discard any oil in the pan, then crumple up a sheet of paper towel and use kitchen tongs to grip the paper towel and wipe the inside of the pan.
• Place the pan over medium heat and add the unsalted butter. Once the butter has almost melted, add in the onion and garlic. Sauté for about 1 minute.
• With your matchstick in hand, pour the cognac into the pan, then immediately light the alcohol in the pan on fire, being careful to keep a safe distance from the pan. Allow the flame to slowly subside before proceeding.
• Add in the worcestershire sauce and dijon, along with the heavy cream. Stir everything to combine and cook for another minute, just until the sauce is thick and bubbly.
• Pour the sauce over the steak and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

STEAK TARTARE (BEEF TARTARE)

Steps:

• Place the beef in the freezer for about 1 hour until the exterior begins to firm up and form crystals but it's still easily pierced with a knife. This will make it easier to finely hand-chop.
• Meanwhile, prep the shallot, capers, cornichons, and parsley in a small bowl, and set aside. In another small bowl whisk together the egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, oil, Worcestershire, and hot sauce.
• Remove the beef from the freezer, slice it thinly against the grain, then slice into fine strips, and then finally dice into small cubes, about ¼-inch across. Transfer the beef to a large mixing bowl and gently combine it with the shallot and caper mixture as well as the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with salt, pepper, etc.
• Divide into 4 equal portions, press each portion into a round cookie cutter on a plate. Remove the ring and serve immediately, preferably with toast points/toasted baguette slices, fries and/or salad.

CLASSIC STEAK AU POIVRE

Steps:

• If you've got time, prepare your steak au poivre one or several hours ahead. Begin by crushing the peppercorns very coarsely with a pestle and mortar (if you don't have a pestle and mortar then use the back of a tablespoon and crush them on a flat surface). Now take a shallow dish, large enough to hold 2 steaks comfortably side by side, then pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil mixed with half a clove of the crushed garlic into the dish. Then coat each steak evenly on both sides with the crushed peppercorns, pressing them in firmly. Lay the steaks in the dish and spoon the other tablespoon of oil and the rest of the garlic over them. Cover with clingfilm and leave them aside for several hours, turning them over once. When you're ready to cook the steaks, you need a thick-based frying pan. Place it over a very high heat and let it preheat until it's very hot indeed - the more daring you can be in getting the pan really hot, the better the finished steak will be! Now quickly drop each steak directly into the pan. Sear them quickly on both sides - give them about 1 minute on each side. Then lower the heat and cook them how you want them. Some people like them 'blue', which means seared only and very rare; for medium rare give them 3 more minutes, and for well done, 4 more minutes. Either way, 1 minute before the end of the cooking time, pour in the wine, then let it bubble and reduce down to a syrupy consistency about one-third of its original volume. This whole process will be very brief. Sprinkle with salt and serve the steaks as quickly as possible with the wine sauce poured over. If you want to be really French, serve with frites and a green salad.