Pan Seared Steak with Simple Red Wine Sauce

I’m a sucker for a steakhouse meal. A dirty martini, super rich potatoes, creamed spinach, and a perfectly cooked steak, is my treat-yourself meal of choice. For me, learning how to cook a steak and make a simple pan sauce was a game changer. A pan-seared steak is perfect for winter months, when grilling is miserable. It also offers the opportunity to create a deeply flavorful sauce from the steak drippings. It’s an easy technique and, once you know the principles, you’ll be able to create a show-stopping meal whenever you want.

I tend to prefer New York Strip steaks for their flavor, price point, and marbling, but any thick-cut steak will work in this recipe. Generously salting your steak and allowing it to rest for 40 minutes will result in a well-seasoned steak throughout. If you’re in a rush, just season the steak and hit the pan. This pan sauce is endlessly adaptable and extremely fun to make.

Serves two.

·      2 6-8 ounce steaks or one large steak—such as New York Strip

·      Coarse kosher salt

·      2 tablespoon vegetable oil

·      3 tablespoons cold butter

·      3 shallots—halved and thinly sliced

·      1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

·      ½ cup red wine

·      3 tablespoons soy sauce

·      1 tablespoon jam—such as tomato, strawberry, or grape

·      Freshly cracked black pepper

1.     Place steaks on a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry with additional paper towels. Season the steaks generously with kosher salt on all sides and let sit for at least 40 minutes.

2.     While the steaks absorb the salt, prepare the shallots. Trim each shallot and halve lengthwise, keeping the base intact. Thinly slice widthwise into half-moons.

3.     Once the steaks have rested, heat a cast iron skillet until smoking and add the vegetable oil. Add steak to the pan.

4.     Cook, flipping every minute, until the steaks have developed an even golden-brown crust—about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium high and add two tablespoons butter to the pan. Cook an additional two minutes, basting the steaks by spooning hot butter over each side.

5.     Transfer the steaks to a heatproof plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest at least 5 minutes.

6.     Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add shallots to the steak drippings. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots are soft and fragrant- about two minutes. Add flour to the shallots and stir to coat evenly.  Cook for an additional minute until any raw flour aroma has disappeared. Add the red wine and cook, scraping to deglaze the pan. Cook two minutes until the liquid has reduced. Add soy sauce and jam and cook for an additional minute. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Once the sauce coats the back of a spoon, stir in a tablespoon of cold butter to finish.

7.     Slice steak and serve warm, topped with red wine sauce.