SAUCES

Sauces are any tasty liquid that you can put over cooked vegetables and meats, poultry or seafoods. You really don't need to panick thinking that you can't make a sauce, you can. It is easy. Here is a tip to make a basic pan sauce when searing a steak.

We're going to take about a 10-12 oz. boneless New York steak, and pepper it with fresh ground black pepper corns, from a mill. Let the steak sit for about 20 minutes at room temperature, never attempt to sear steaks when it's cold right out of the chill.

Heat up a stainless steel skillet, do not use a nonstick pan, you want just steel, so that the meat will sear right on the pan, you see the trick is, to let the steak rest on the pan over high heat without any oil, the meat will develop a nice crust, with oil in the pan, it will slide around, you want the natural oil from the meat to come out, this will be the flavors for your pan sauce.

Okay, what you do next is get a cup of red wine, inexpensive ones will do, a Merlot, Cotes du Rhone, a Cabernet Sauvignon, or even Sherry will do. Okay also get a tsp. of minced shallots, and a dash of thyme, and a dash of Rosemary, and keep a tablespoon of butter ready, but keep it almost chilled until you are ready to pan it.

Okay, the steak is ready to be cooked, the skillet is hot, place the steak on the pan, push it down so that there is no air pockets, air will negate a good sear. Do not touch it let it sit and fry or sear!
Turn heat down to medium high, let it go, let it brown, even blacken. Let it cook for about 5-6 minutes, if you see juices coming out great, lift up the steak a tad, see if the cooking side is getting crusty, if it is, then flip it. Let the next side cook for about 5-6 minutes it should be medium rare to medium. Cooking it for 8 minutes should make it medium well, longer for well. But remember that all stoves are different, gas, electric, and induction stoves will project heat differently, like people, it has a personality, with experience you will get it down.

Once the steak is done to your desire, remove it quickly and cover it with foil to trap heat so it will not get cold. Immediately put the pan back on the heat to high, add in the shallots, the thyme, Rosemary, and wine, let it boil, using a whisk, stir up the pan's juices, or the juices and peices from the steak, that's the fond and all the flavors are in that pan. A nonstick pan can't do this trick. Now watch as that cup of red wine will start to reduce, as soon as it reduces to about 1/3 cup, take it off the stove, and immediately add in that cold tablespoon of butter (unsalted), and swirl it around, it will add richness to the wine or pan sauce. Viola! you are a culinary wizard! Top the steak with sauce and serve with whatever sauce you like.




Photo curtesy of istockphoto.com
Tray of all natural boneless New York steaks

Ron