Dinner Tonight: Skirt Steak with Red Wine Sauce
This is no time for dainty fare. With much of the past week spent below zero here in Chicago, I needed something substantial, rich, and warming. Though I didn't have time for a hefty stew, I still dreamt of a thick red wine based sauce. That's how I ended up with this recipe from Gourmet. It's a straight-forward steak with red wine sauce that tastes a little more haughty than the money I spent on it. Skirt steak can be a real steal, and so can a nice bottle of cheap Spanish red.
Making a good pan sauce takes a little practice and patience. I used to just haphazardly glug the wine in the skillet the moment I removed the meat. The liquid would instantly vaporize and burn, and what was left was both unpalatably bitter and too fatty. The key, I've found, is to pour off most of the fat that has pooled from cooking the steaks, and then to let the pan hang out off the heat for at least a minute or two. Then it's ready for the deglazing liquid, which will reduce to a luxurious sauce worth eating straight from the pan with a spoon.
Skirt Steak with Red Wine Sauce
- serves 2 -
Ingredients
3/4 pound skirt steak
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
Procedure
1. Pour the oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salt and a pinch of black pepper on the steak. Place it in the pan and cook it for 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside.
2. Pour off any fat in the skillet, leaving the browned bits. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool down for minute. Then turn the heat to medium and add the wine, thyme, bay leaf, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Dislodge any brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Reduce mixture by half, which should take about 3 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and thyme, and add the butter. Stir until the butter has incorporated into the sauce. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
4. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Spoon the sauce over top and serve.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a co-founder of The Paupered Chef, a blog dedicated to saving time and money while enjoying food in every way possible.
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7 Comments:
Nice deglazing tip. I also find that if I add the wine too soon, it spatters in teeny dots all over the stove, which is annoying as all hell to clean up.
Michele Humes at 4:48PM on 01/19/09
I agree, flank tastes better than it should for the price. The pan sauce sounds great. That's the only thing I miss with grilling - no pan mean no sauce. Thanks for the recipe.
Davekatz at 5:07PM on 01/19/09
@ Davekatz, I agree that flank tastes better but because of everyone buying it nowadays, the price has gone up. I've seen the price of flank higher than ribeye in my supermarket.
zawwin at 5:43PM on 01/19/09
I agree. Skirt steak used to fly under the radar and be mad cheap. Dang celebrity chefs.
browngravy at 7:40AM on 01/20/09
Thanks for the deglazing tips. This sounds like a great week night dinner.
saraann at 9:42AM on 01/20/09
That sauce sounds really good. I'll have to try it sometime soon.
@ Davekatz
You can sear your steak in a pan before putting it on the grill, and it turns out great(then you'll have your goddies to deglaze).
The thing is, you have to be carefull depending on how well you like your meat cooked(I like mine medium). I normally cook other items, such as veggies, on my grill, and when I do the sear method, I let my coals get to a lower temperature than I normally would for non-seared steak. That way I can sear the meat in a cast iron skillet, and let it have a little more time to soak up that great charcoal grilled flavor, that just can't be beat by gas grills, pan frying, or broiling in the oven. It's the best of both worlds.
Raiders757 at 3:04PM on 01/20/09
I just cooked this tonight and it was great! I suggest every one to cook the meat to medium rare as i mistakenly cooked my meat to medium and it wasnt as good as it could have been.Also dont use to much salt as i did over salt my meat and it would have been more enjoyable if i used less. The sauce was Great and i will let all my foodie friends know that this is a great recipe. It was easy to make and Fast! On a side note i suggest people to serve it with mashed potato as it paired very well when i made it.
oldmanonastick at 1:03AM on 04/25/09