Steak Bordelaise

This recipe combines

Pan-Seared Steak Sauce Bordelaise

A pan-seared steak napped with sauce Bordelaise — a dark, glossy red wine reduction built on shallots, port, and beef stock. This is the pan-seared steak and the sauce made as one dish: sear the steak in butter, rest it, and build the sauce while it rests so both land on the plate together. Both parts also stand on their own if you'd rather make them separately.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 steaks (ribeye, strip, or similar), about 1–1¼ inches thick
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, for the steak
• 2 teaspoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon cold butter for finishing the sauce
• 1 small shallot (about 2 tablespoons), minced
• ½ cup port
• 1 cup red wine (Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 1 beef bouillon cube (or enough bouillon paste or powder for 1 cup liquid)
• 1 cup beef stock, divided
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ tablespoons cornstarch

The sauce is a reduction, so it forgives a lot: the bouillon concentrates the stock enough that it doesn't need to reduce far, and a cornstarch slurry sets the final body so you aren't chasing a thin sauce while the steak cools. Build it in a separate pan while the steak rests, or in the same skillet once the steak is out — the fond left behind only helps.

Pan-Frying

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Browning Food and Building a Sauce→

Method

Sear the steak

Pat the steaks dry and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides, letting them sit at room temperature 20–30 minutes if time allows. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until foaming and just beginning to brown, then add the steaks and cook 2–3 minutes before flipping. Continue flipping every 2–3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness (about 130°F for medium-rare), 8–10 minutes total. Move the steaks to a plate and let them rest at least 5 minutes — resting matters more for steak than almost anything else, since cutting too soon lets the juices run out onto the board.

Build the reduction

While the steak rests, melt 2 teaspoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat, 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%. Add the beef stock, reserving 2 tablespoons for the slurry, along with the thyme and bay leaf, and simmer gently 10–15 minutes to develop the flavor; there is no need to reduce the stock.

Thicken and serve

Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved 2 tablespoons beef stock, pull the pan off the heat, whisk in the slurry, then return it to the heat and whisk constantly until the sauce comes back to a boil and reaches the consistency you want. Season with salt and pepper, strain if you prefer, then whisk in the cold tablespoon of butter off the heat to mount the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the rested steaks and serve immediately.