Cooking a delicious steak can be difficult, depending on the circumstances. Either you're a beginner, or using new techniques, or you’re not used to the cut of steak you’re working with. However, no matter how you cook your steak, there are ways to enhance the flavor and make the experience even more enjoyable. One sure-fire way to do this is with steak sauce.
You might be alright with buying your favorite brand of steak sauce from the store, but making it yourself can be a quick and easy process to make your meal even more personal! This blog will go over what steak sauce actually is, and how you can make your own for when you want to jazz up your steak dinner.
What is Steak Sauce?
As we’ve gone over, steak sauce is a condiment that goes on your steak to give it more flavor. It’s nearly identical to brown sauce, a condiment used in European countries for steak and other foods. Steak sauce has a few common ingredients, but the flavor can be sweet, spicy, tangy, or tart depending on what you choose to make it with.
While similar to steak marinade in concept, the two are different in key ways. The biggest one is how you use them. Steak marinades are used by letting the meat sit in the marinade for a period of time before it is cooked. This allows the marinade to tenderize the steak while infusing it with flavor. Steak sauce, on the other hand, goes on the steak after it is finished cooking. It’s used to add flavor and preserve moisture in the steak.
Some steak enthusiasts believe that steak sauce is a completely unneeded addition to the dish. The common claim is that steak sauce overpowers the meat instead of enhancing it. However, other experienced cooks will say that the right steak sauce is a natural compliment to any steak dish. A few gourmet chefs even deliberately cook some steaks to be eaten with steak sauce. It comes down to your personal preference, as well as the preferences of the people you may be cooking for.
Steak Sauce Recipes
Since this is a fairly normal condiment, most steak sauces are very simple to make. The most basic steak sauce takes barely a few minutes to prepare. There are other steak sauces, however, that are a bit more involved and result in unique and delicious flavors. This section will go over a basic steak sauce, as well as three special kinds of sauces for you to try when the mood strikes you.
Basic Steak Sauce Recipe
The easiest steak sauce to make, and the one enjoyed by most people.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 drops hot pepper sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl
Stir well
Serve over steak or refrigerate until needed
Red Wine Steak Sauce
A staple of steak dinners transformed into delicious sauce.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon steak drippings (or 1 tablespoon butter)
1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic paste
¼ cup minced shallots or red onions
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup beef stock
¼ cup roughly chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions:
Put steak drippings in pan over medium heat (Replace with butter if there are no steak drippings)
Add garlic and shallots and saute
Stirring until tender, about 1 minute
Add red wine, beef stock, balsamic vinegar, and fresh thyme sprigs
Bring liquid to simmer over medium-high heat
Allow the wine mixture to reduce until thickened, approximately 3 to 5 minutes
Remove the thyme from the sauce and turn the heat to low
Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter
Add parsley and additional seasonings by preference
Serve
Mushroom Steak Sauce
A traditional topping elevated to a delectable sauce.
Ingredients:
20 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
3 fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Coarse kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Melt the butter with mushrooms in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, tossing to coat
Cook mushrooms down until they are half their original size
Reduce the temperature to medium and then add the red wine, broth, fresh thyme and garlic powder
Stir well and then simmer for 15 minutes
Remove the thyme sprigs
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water
Whisk into mushroom sauce
Heat for an additional 2 minutes, then remove
Season it to your preferences
Serve
Blue Cheese Steak Sauce
A unique and distinct steak sauce guaranteed to leave an impact.
Ingredients:
1 cup of heavy cream and room temperature
1/2 cup beef stock
3 ½ ounces of crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon finely diced fresh chives
Instructions:
Bring a heavy bottom pan to the highest heat it can go
Once smoking hot, lay down your steaks
For medium rare with a steak about 2 centimeters thick, fry for 2 mins, or until the sighting of blood emerges through the upper surface
Flip the steak
Add in your butter, rosemary, thyme and garlic and baste the steaks for another 2 mins
Remove steaks from pan and leave to rest
Leave herbs and garlic in the pan
Lower heat to a medium and pour in beef stock
Scrape off any flavor from the pan, then pour in cream
Stir and allow to simmer for 5 or so minutes until it begins to thicken
Remove herbs and garlic, then add in blue cheese and chives
Continue simmering until cheese has blended and the sauce has thickened
Add pepper
Serve
Braveheart Foods Has the Perfect Meat For Your Sauce
With all of these delicious sauces, you’re going to need a delicious steak to pour them on. Luckily, Braveheart Foods has a variety of steak cuts that go perfectly with any of the sauces on this list, and many more!
Contact us today for more information, and feel free to browse our selection of steaks and other meats to see if Braveheart Foods is right for you.