There’s nothing like enjoying a juicy and tender steak with all the right accompaniments. As a matter of fact, whether you’re preparing filet mignon or one of many flavorful steak cuts that won’t break the bank, such as tri-tip or flat-iron, every steak deserves a delectable sauce for dipping. While pan drippings may give home-cooked steak an extra flavor boost, the secret behind luxurious restaurant soups and sauces is a bit of butter.
However, instead of simply adding a pat or two of butter to your steak’s drippings, follow a special technique to create a flavorful, glossy, and thick pan sauce. The French cooking method, monter au beurre or “to mount with butter,” is a technique that involves whisking cold butter into warm sauce. When butter is strategically whisked into a combination of meat drippings, stock, and spices, an emulsification occurs. Small bits of butterfat are left suspended in the mix, leaving you with the ideal accompaniment for your next perfectly cooked steak.
To make this elevated sauce, combine steak drippings with wine or stock over medium heat until reduced. Then, off the heat, whisk in a bit of mustard. Once the mixture reduces to a temperature at or below 195 degrees Fahrenheit, vigorously whisk in small cubes of cold butter. Serve this rich and creamy sauce immediately or keep it warm with a hot water bath until mealtime.
More creative ways to thicken your next meaty pan sauce
Next to using cold butter, there are several more simple additions that take steak to the next level, such as upgrading your sauce with aromatics. Before deglazing your pan with stock or wine, over medium heat, combine drippings with a minced shallot and whole herbs like thyme or rosemary. Additionally, feel free to diversify your mustard selection; besides Dijon, consider using a spicy brown or whole-grain variety. Other complements include miso paste and Worcestershire sauce.
Before you go the extra mile to make this butter-infused pan sauce, do not confuse the monter au beurre technique with a slightly different cooking method known as beurre monté. Unlike whisking cold butter into a hot pan sauce, beurre monté is simply an emulsification of butter and water. This intrinsic combination transforms into creamy, pourable butter that can be used as either a poaching liquid for meat or vegetables, or, conversely, with the right seasonings and herbs, a delightfully creamy dipping sauce.
That being said, if the general idea of whisking cold butter into water or your steak’s pan sauce feels too involved for your liking, skip the butter and use heavy cream instead. When the primary components of your sauce base have reduced, add in a decent pour of heavy cream and stir. After simmering for a few additional minutes, you should be left with a wonderfully creamy pan sauce for your next steak dinner.
