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Red Wine Pan Sauce with Mustard and Thyme

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 5, 2011

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 (Makes about 1/2 cup, enough to sauce 4 steaks)

Red Wine Pan Sauce with Mustard and Thyme

Ingredients

2 medium shallots, minced (about ¼ cup)2 teaspoons brown sugar ½ cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon½ cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

  1. Follow related recipe for Pan-Seared Steaks. To same skillet used to cook steaks (do not clean skillet or discard accumulated fat), add shallots and sugar off heat; using pan’s residual heat, cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are slightly softened and browned and sugar is melted, about 45 seconds. Return skillet to high heat, add wine, broth, and bay leaf; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom with wooden spoon. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar and mustard; cook at medium heat to blend flavors, about 1 minute longer. Off heat, whisk in butter until melted and sauce is thickened and glossy. Add thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf, spoon sauce over steaks and serve immediately.
Red Wine Pan Sauce with Mustard and Thyme

Red Wine Pan Sauce with Mustard and Thyme

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

20 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 (Makes about 1/2 cup, enough to sauce 4 steaks)

Ingredients

2 medium shallots, minced (about ¼ cup)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 medium shallots, minced (about ¼ cup)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 medium shallots, minced (about ¼ cup)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For a pan-seared steak recipe with a full-bodied, complex steak sauce, we cooked the steaks in a high-quality, heavy pan, reducing the heat to prevent burning and moving the steaks only once. By adding a few extra ingredients to the traditional trio of wine or brandy, stock, and butter, we transformed canned stock into a luxurious, refined sauce for our meat.

Instructions

  1. Follow related recipe for Pan-Seared Steaks. To same skillet used to cook steaks (do not clean skillet or discard accumulated fat), add shallots and sugar off heat; using pan’s residual heat, cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are slightly softened and browned and sugar is melted, about 45 seconds. Return skillet to high heat, add wine, broth, and bay leaf; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom with wooden spoon. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar and mustard; cook at medium heat to blend flavors, about 1 minute longer. Off heat, whisk in butter until melted and sauce is thickened and glossy. Add thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf, spoon sauce over steaks and serve immediately.

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