How to Cook · Sauces
Sauce Bordelaise
A deep, glossy red-wine pan sauce for steak, traditionally built on Bordeaux and a concentrated brown sauce. This practical version reduces red wine and port with shallot, then leans on beef stock and bouillon for richness, finishing with a little cornstarch and butter so the sauce turns silky and clings to every slice.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups, serves 4
Ingredients
Sauces
Method
Classically, sauce Bordelaise contains no port, but I find its sweetness helps offset the strong earthy notes of Cabernet Sauvignon. The classical sauce uses sauce espagnole, and many modern versions use demi-glace; both are preferable to beef stock but can be hard to find or make. Bouillon gives the stock enough concentration that it doesn't need to reduce, though the sauce still needs to simmer 10–15 minutes to develop flavor. If you don't have bouillon, use 2 cups beef stock and reduce it by half.
Build the reduction
Melt 2 teaspoons of butter over medium heat in a saucepan, add the shallot, and cook until softened and just beginning to caramelize, 3–4 minutes. Add the port and reduce until mostly gone, then add the red wine and bouillon, scraping up any browned bits, and reduce the wine by 60–70%.
Simmer the stock
Add the beef stock, reserving 2 tablespoons for the slurry, along with the thyme and bay leaf. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes to develop the flavor; there is no need to reduce the stock.
Thicken and finish
Make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch into the reserved 2 tablespoons beef stock, pull the pan off the heat, and whisk the slurry into the sauce. Return the pan to the heat and whisk constantly until the sauce comes back to a boil and reaches the consistency you want, then season with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce if you prefer — I do not — then remove it from the heat and whisk in the cold tablespoon of butter to mount the sauce (beurre monté). Serve immediately.
Pairs with: Pan-Seared Steak
Part of Sauces in the How to Cook series.