One of my favorite meats on the barbecue is a good beef steak. I used to be somewhat of a purest and insist on only salt & pepper gracing this grilled wonder, but I have lightened up over the years. Although I have never been (and never will be) a fan of coating a beef steak with traditional type barbecue sauce, my wife loves sauce with almost everything. So to please her palate, and mine as well, I usually turn to one of these three incredible sauces:
Peppercorn Sauce
2/3 cup full bodied red wine
2 tbsp concord grape jelly
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup beef stock
2 tbsp canned green Madagascar peppercorns, strained
1 tbsp butter
In a large pan over medium-high heat add the wine and grape jelly. Boil until the wine has reduced in volume by half, and the jelly has melted into the wine.
Add the cream and beef stock and continue to boil until the sauce has become thickened and syrupy, stirring frequently.
Pull the pan off the heat. Stir in the strained peppercorns and butter and serve immediately.
Jus (brothy sauce like you would get with prime rib)
1 cup full bodied red wine
3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup beef broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Combine the red wine, garlic cloves, and rosemary in a small pot. Boil over medium/high to high heat until the wine has reduced in volume by half. Add the beef stock, salt and sugar. Stir to combine, cover and set aside off the heat until your meat is cooked.
While the meat is resting, warm the Jus in the pot until hot, strain the garlic and rosemary out and portion into small dipping cups for serving.
Garlic Compound Butter
1 cup butter, room temperature
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Mix the butter, garlic, parsley and parmesan thoroughly.
Shape in wax paper into a 1-inch cylindrical shape. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
Store in the refrigerator (or freezer) until needed.
To serve as a complimentary sauce: unwrap and slice thick circles of the butter to let melt on the hot grilled steaks.
Chef Dez is a Food Columnist, Culinary Travel Host & Cookbook Author. Visit him at www.chefdez.com
Write to him at [email protected] or P.O. Box 2674, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6R4.
