Stovetop
How to Make a Pan Sauce for Steak
Turn the browned bits in your skillet into a shallot, stock, and butter sauce.
After the steak comes out of the skillet, look at what’s left behind. Those brown patches are called fond. With stock, a little Dijon, and cold butter, they can become a sauce while the steak rests. Use a skillet that has brown bits and smells roasted. If the residue is black and smells burnt, start the sauce in a clean pan.
What you’ll need
- Browned bits left in the skillet after cooking steak
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- ½ cup low-sodium beef stock
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- A squeeze of lemon and black pepper, to taste
Pour off the excess fat
Transfer the steak to a clean plate. Carefully tip any excess fat into a heat-safe container, leaving a thin coating in the pan. Set the skillet over medium heat, stir in the shallot, and cook until it softens. If the shallot browns immediately, pull the pan off the burner briefly.
Deglaze and reduce
Add the stock and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. Bring it to a gentle simmer and let it reduce until the liquid lightly coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the Dijon and any juices from the plate where the cooked steak rested. Taste before adding salt, since stock gets saltier as it reduces.
If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with a spoonful of water. If it’s too thin, give it a little more time at a simmer before adding butter.
Whisk in cold butter off the heat
Take the skillet off the burner and whisk in the butter a piece at a time. A squeeze of lemon brightens the sauce if it tastes too rich. Finish with black pepper and spoon it over the sliced steak just before serving. This recipe makes enough for about two servings.
