When the Steaks Are High

A steak is nothing without a sauce. Whisk a few spoonfuls of red wine into the skillet in which you seared the steak, and that will give you something good but not grand to pour over the enticing meat. Or take a few minutes to cook a shallot, letting it bubble in a panful of wine until it reduces and intensifies, and you're deglazing like the pros. This classic red wine sauce, served with steak, has become one of the most popular entrees American menus. For diners who prefer something buttery with their meat, a classic bearnaise hits the spot. Or deglaze the skillet with port wine and a handful of mushrooms, and you're making a sauce equally good with beef or a succulent roast chicken. If you broil steaks such as flank, there will be no pan drippings to start the sauce, so simply melt a little butter and pour it over the meat the way some steakhouse chefs do. Just remember, a sauce should enhance, not overpower, the meat - and should make the cook look brilliant.

BLENDER BEARNAISE SAUCE
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

Bearnaise goes with steak and also with rich fish such as grilled salmon. Traditional bearnaise made with a whisk and a heavy-based saucepan. A blender makes the job easy.

2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons warm water
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a saucepan over low heat, simmer the wine, vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and pepper until it is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Strain the mixture.

In a blender, combine the egg yolks, water, salt, and pepper.

With the machine running, pour the butter through the feed tube in a very slow, steady stream. The sauce will thicken gradually as the butter "cooks" the yolks. Blend in the strained wine-vinegar mixture. If the sauce seems too thick, add another teaspoon of warm water to thin it.

Serve at once or transfer the sauce to a heatproof bowl. Set it over a saucepan of warm (not hot) water for up to 20 minutes before serving.

SAUCE MARCHAND DE VIN
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

In France, the wine merchant's sauce was said to be the best in town, since he had his choice of red wine from his own shop. Marchand de vin has come to mean any red wine sauce made after searing steaks.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Squeeze of lemon juice

After cooking a steak in a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter the pan. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and set aside.

Add the shallot and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until the shallot softens. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the brown bits. Let the mixture bubble until reduced to 1/2 cup.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Let the mixture bubble until reduced to 1 cup. Whisk in the remaining butter little at a time, stirring constantly.

Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and pepper. Taste and add salt, you like. Serve at once.

PORT-WINE MUSHROOM SAUCE
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

Make this in a skillet after searing steak or in a roasting pan after cooking a chicken.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 pound assorted mushrooms (shiitakes, portobellos, crimini), stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups port wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, thyme, and salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until the mushrooms release their liquid.

Pour in the port and bring to a boil. Let the mixture bubble steadily until it reduces to 1/2 cup. Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Let the mixture bubble steadily until it reduces to 1 cup.

Turn the heat to low. Slowly swirl in the cream, stirring continuously. Let the sauce cook for 2 minutes. Add pepper and taste the sauce for seasoning; add salt, if you like. Serve at once.

Note: Make the sauce ahead up to the point where you add the cream. Then reheat the sauce, stir in the cream, and finish cooking.

CHOOSING SKILLET STEAKS

Many people swear by tenderloin steaks (also called filet mignon), which are indeed tender but not that flavorful. Rib-eye (or Delmonico) steaks are what meat lovers go for. Imagine a standing rib roast that is sliced and boned, and you've got a rib-eye. Less fatty and a little chewier is the top loin steak (also called strip steak). Hanger steak, which is chewy, is the current restaurant favorite.