Red Wine Sauce Recipe

Red Wine Sauce

1. 1

   Prepare ingredients

   Measure the wine and stock. Finely mince the shallot and garlic. Cube the cold mounting butter and have thyme and bay leaf ready.

2. 2

   Sweat aromatics

   In a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent but not browned. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

3. 3

   Deglaze with wine

   Add the 2 cups of dry red wine to the pan, scraping any fond from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a steady simmer.

4. 4

   Reduce

   Simmer the wine until it reduces by about two-thirds (from ~2 cups to ~2/3 cup), approximately 12–18 minutes depending on heat and pan surface area. The aroma will concentrate and the volume will noticeably decrease.

5. 5

   Add flavoring

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw taste. Add the beef or veal stock, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and brown sugar (or honey). Bring back to a simmer.

6. 6

   Further reduce

   Simmer the mixture until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 8–12 minutes, reducing to roughly 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sauce depending on initial reduction. Taste and adjust seasoning lightly.

7. 7

   Optional flambé

   If using cognac/brandy: remove pan from direct heat, carefully add the brandy, then ignite with a long match or return briefly to flame to burn off alcohol. Let flame subside before returning to heat.

8. 8

   Finish and mount with butter

   Remove the pan from heat. Fish out and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and then the 2 tablespoons of cold cubed butter, one piece at a time, whisking briskly until incorporated and the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thickened (this is called mounting).

9. 9

   Season and strain

   Taste and season with salt (about 1 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper (about 1/2 tsp), or to taste. For a perfectly smooth sauce, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a warmed container, pressing on solids to extract flavor, then discard solids.

10. 10

    Serve

    Keep sauce warm over very low heat or in a thermos. Spoon over steak, roasted meats, or vegetables. The sauce will thicken as it cools; rewarm gently and whisk in a small knob of butter or a splash of stock if needed to loosen.