My wife is a freak for pan sauces (soaking it up with sourdough bread) whenever I sear any type of meat. But I’ve yet to make a sauce that I think is really good - thick and balanced in flavor. My method has been to deglaze the pan with red wine right after pulling the meat and scraping the bottom to incorporate the seared meat that is stuck to the cast iron. I usually add a pinch of Kosher salt and then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes while the meat is resting. I then take it off of the heat finish with a Tbls of butter - making sure it integrates well.
The result is not bad, but I usually find it to be somewhat acidic from the wine and fats from the meat often don’t integrate into the sauce which gives an ‘oil slick’ appearance.
Any ideas on how to do this better?? I just put a couple double-cut pork chops in an apple cider brine for tonight and I’m in the mood to experiment with the sauce…
You have too much fat in the pan. Pour most of it out before deglazing with the wine.
If you’re searing steaks you’re not going to get a lot of fond (the stuff that sticks to the pan) because they’re not in the pan long enough, so all you have for flavoring is the wine. You’ll need to add something. Saute some minced shallots before you deglaze, and consider adding another flavoring, either stock or (better) demi-glace. You can buy either if you’re not inclined to make it yourself.
Oh . . . and simmering the wine isn’t enough. You have to get the heat up high enough that you’re evaporating some of the water so the volume of wine is reduced by about half.
Thanks Bob. I was thinking that stock might help. One question about reducing the wine - I have heard that bad things happen if the wine gets to a full boil. Reducing to half would require a LONG simmer or a quick boil - all while the rest of the food is waiting.
Maybe slowly reduce the wine in a different pan while the meat is cooking, and then add to deglaze?? I have been eyeing the demi-glace that Bryan Flannery sells, but the price is steep!
There’s a simple solution to the wine issue… don’t use it. Use stock. Or, if you like some wine flavor, put some stock and wine together. Or try white wines…
Another thing to try with steaks is cognac (AWAY from the flame as you WILL get flames over the pan and NOT from the bottle - pour a small amount into a small bowl, add that way). Doing a peppercorn steak deglazed with a bit of cognac, thickened with cream is… mmmm
I’ve used Bob’s method of sauteeing some shallots and putting some herbs in right at the end too.
Short version - wine isn’t the only thing to use to deglaze.
There is no problem in boiling wine. There are certain situations in which you might not want to bring it to a boil – e.g., if you’ve added butter and flour to the pan drippings before adding wine – but that is not because there are problems inherent in boiling wine.
But Rick Gregory is right – just don’t add the wine. Lots of other delicious options out there. Otherwise, if you like the flavors of wine but not the acidic bite, you can add something to counteract, like a sweeter butter or cream, some honey, a port reduction (if you have it on hand), etc.
Good suggestions! You can also make a roux. Equal parts fat from the meat and flour. Whisk and let brown a little, then add warm stock and then the wine.
In the New Best Recipe cookbook, they explain the heating of wine this way- “As wine is heated, delicate flavor compounds known as esters break apart, turning fruity flavors and aromas sour and bitter. The higher the heat, the more rapidly the esters break down.”
I have made their recipe many times with excellent results. A lot of the time I leave out the carrots and such, though.
Wine Reduction
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small shallot, minced
2 white mushrooms, finely chopped
1 small bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh parsley
1 cup red wine
Sauce
1 sm shallot minced
1/2 C low sodium chicken broth
1/2 C low sod beef broth
3 T cold butter, cut into 3 pieces
1/2 t minced fresh thyme leaves
salt & pepper
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Heat the wine reduction ingredients in a non-reactive 12 in skillet over low heat: cook without simmering (the liquid should be steaming but not bubbling) until the mixture reduces to 1 cup, 15-20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and return to clean skillet. Continue to cook over low heat, without simmering, until the liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, 15-20 minutes longer. Transfer the wine reduction to a small bowl.
Sauce- To the same skillet used to cook the steaks (do not clean the skillet or discard accumulated fat unless there is more than 1 T in the pan), add the shallot and cook over med-low heat until softened, about 1 min. Turn the heat to high and add the chick and beef broths. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon until the liquid is reduced to 2 T, about 6 min. Turn the heat to med-low and whisk in the reserved wine reduction and any accumulated juices shed by the steaks. Whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, until melted and the sauce is thickened and glossy. Add the thyme and season with S&P to taste. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately.
You may want to use Beurre Manier rather than plain butter to finish the sauce. I find it pulls the sauce together and helps with the “oil slick”. I prefer it to using a roux to introduce flour when I’m making a pan sauce.
Patience is the best ingredient in a good wine reduction. I’m not versed in the science behind it, but I guarantee a reduction made by slowly reducing (steam, no bubbles) will taste better than one made by quickly reducing (simmer or boil).
I’ve found adding a bit of Hoisin or honey to a wine reduction gives it some depth; as do Italian herbs (added at the end).
For a fruitier reduction, I’ve had success incorporating a small handful (maybe 10) crushed raspberries in the reduction – these should be added at the end.
Try mixing red and white wines in your reduction: I enjoy the acidity and tropical notes resultant from a blend of 75% fruity red wine (Shiraz, for example) and 25% acidic white wine (I like NZ Sauv. Blanc).
As others have mentioned, use stock instead of wine – or a mixture of the two. Also trying using reduced cream instead of butter. Very rich, but quite delicious.
As other posted have mentioned above, along with New Best Recipe (Cooks Illustrated essentially), and foodie god Thomas Keller, wine reductions should be done at low heat ahead of time (with other aromatics in the wine).
The recipe posted above from New Best Recipe is a good one.
There’s no way I’d deglaze a cast iron pan (unenameled) with any acid. ick… Use a stainless steel (All Clad or similar) pan or an enameled cast iron pan.
Linda’s prep will rock, but needs more prep time than most people do when they do pan sauces… what I do when I want something like that is to make a cup or more of the reduction (usually red wine + stock, reduced together), then freeze it and use just a bit. The cliched way yo freeze it is as icecubes that you then put in a sealed plastic bag, using a cube or two as needed.
Also, remember you’re concentrating the wine by reducing it so beware high tannin wines… lower tannin wines that have good fruit are nice. Think Pinot Noir vs Cab S.
After you take the meat out of the skillet, make sure you have a tblspoon or so of fat. If not, add just a bit of olive oil. Saute a shallot or two in the fat and add a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme and a sprig of rosemary with the shallots. After your shallots are soft, maybe 5 minutes, add about a tablespoon of flour and whisk it together for a minute or two. At this point, you can add stock. Once you do, you can scrape up the fond and make sure the roux is incorporated. Add a splash of cognac off the heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes, until it gets thick. Add salt and pepper to taste and then off of the heat, add a couple of tblspoons of butter. Don’t whisk them in, just shake the pan back and forth to incorporate. You’ll get a nice, shiny and rich sauce in about 10 minutes.
There are many good suggestions for sauce making here. Everyone report back when you have successes and failures! Most of all, enjoy food and wine with family and friends.
