Simple Reduction Sauce
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- fond from searing beef or lamb
- 2 teaspoons cooking oil or bacon fat if no fat is left in the pan
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1 cup red wine full bodied
- 1 cup beef or veal stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs minced, thyme and rosemary work well here
Instructions
- Remove the meat from the pan. Cover with foil to rest.
- Add the oil or bacon fat to the hot pan, if needed, along with the shallot and wine.
- Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until all the fond is released and the shallot is soft.
- Continue to cook until the wine is well reduced. The mixture should be very syrupy and thick, and there should be no more than ΒΌ cup left in the pan.
- Add the stock and simmer again until reduced by at least half.
- Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning. Do not season before reducing, because your sauce will be too salty.
- Add a little salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Swirl in the butter, a bit at a time. Adding this fat is an optional step, but it helps to make the sauce silky and tends to round out the flavors.
- Swirl in the herbs right before serving.