Do you know what can make an already delicious steak even more delicious?
A splash of tasty sauce should do the trick! But what kind of sauce? Can you make them at home?
Keep watching to find out! Now, let's get saucy!
Horseradish, a pungent root vegetable related to mustard and wasabi,
has been used for cooking and as a natural remedy for centuries. Believed to treat ailments like
muscle aches and coughs, ancient Egyptians even used it as an aphrodisiac. In the 1600s,
the British started pairing it with beef, and it has been popular ever since. Healthline notes
that the root even contains compounds that may help protect against cancer and other diseases.
Horseradish sauce is often served with steak at restaurants,
but if you're a fan of the peppery flavor, making it yourself is simple. Grocery stores
carry prepared horseradish or you can go all out and start from scratch. Simply blend the
root in a food processor with vinegar and salt to add intense flavor to any dish.
To make a luxurious, creamy horseradish sauce, start with sour cream, heavy cream,
mayonnaise, or strained Greek yogurt. A dollop of horseradish comes next;
remember, the flavors intensify as the sauce sits, so go easy to avoid choking at the table. Lemon or
vinegar plus a pinch of salt and pepper brightens up the flavors, while fresh herbs like chives
or parsley add color and freshness. Add whatever else you enjoy like hot sauce, red pepper flakes,
Worcestershire sauce, or other spices. Creamy horseradish sauce will keep in the refrigerator
for a week so once you've tried it with steak, enjoy other combinations for a kick of flavor.
When celebrating an occasion with a juicy steak,
why not make it genuinely decadent and add Gorgonzola sauce? You probably don't eat red
meat and cheese in the same meal every day - at least your cholesterol level hopes you don't!
"What's cholesterol?"
But if you want something restaurant-worthy at your table,
you can't go wrong with a rich cream sauce.
Gorgonzola cheese is raw and made by salting curds and aging them in cold storage.
The outlet explains that a mold spore is added to milk along with rennet and lactic ferments,
forming the blue-green veins that characterize all blue cheeses.
While aging, the cheese is punctured to allow air inside and help the edible mold develop.
Gorgonzola is an acquired taste and its sharp flavor is nicely balanced in a creamy sauce.
Blue cheese and steak are a match made in heaven because the saltiness pairs so well with the
steak's umami taste. Although a Gorgonzola sauce seems like fancy cuisine, it's a snap to make.
Sauté garlic in butter, add cream and a squeeze of lemon, and cook over low heat until thickened.
Turn off the heat before adding the cheese, stirring it in to melt. Season before serving
with salt, pepper, or fresh herbs, and you have a tasty sauce that will wow your guests.
Steak with red wine sauce is a classic for a good reason. The fat in the steak
combines with the acidity of red wine, resulting in a perfectly balanced contrast.
Before making a red wine sauce for steak, there are a couple of rules to remember.
It's tempting to use an open bottle of wine, but if it's been sitting around for a little while,
beware. Being exposed to air changes a wine's flavor, and ultimately alters the sauce's taste.
Reducing a wine-based sauce to thicken it is necessary, but avoid eliminating more than half
the volume, or it will become bitter. Finally, buying cheap wine for cooking is not a good deal.
Remember that your sauce is only as good as its ingredients, so use a wine you would drink.
A good quality steak is a splurge, so don't ruin it with cheap wine.
Wine sauce is a terrific choice for steaks seared on the stove since you will deglaze
the pan once the meat is cooked. Residue from the meat enriches the sauce, as will butter,
shallots, fresh herbs, red wine, mushrooms, ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, and brown
sugar. The sauce comes together quickly and while it simmers, you can let the meat rest.
Balsamic vinegar is generally sweeter and thicker than other types of vinegar,
and it is commonly drizzled or used for dipping in order to appreciate its flavor.
Each batch of balsamic varies in color, thickness, and sweetness;
traditional aged balsamic will be the sweetest — and cost the most. Balsamic
reductions add an elegant touch to any dish and only require several minutes to make.
Adding maple syrup to balsamic vinegar and reducing it makes a magical glaze
that heightens the flavor of beef with a sweet smokiness. Celebrity chef Nadia G. loves the
combination and points out that it can totally elevate a steak. Even better, it doesn't even
require a recipe. Simply portion out the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar according to how much
glaze you need and how sweet you want it to be. And remember, as Julia Child always said…
"I'm all ready to make…fish!"
Uh…no, it's that you should always taste while you cook.
The key to reducing is to evaporate the water by simmering slowly,
stirring often to avoid burning. When the glaze thickens to your liking,
remove it from the heat and be aware that it will reduce more after cooling.
Brush the glaze on the steak while grilling, and serve more at the table for dipping. If you
have leftovers, this glaze can jazz up salads, sandwiches, cheese, veggies, meat, and seafood.
If you've never had chimichurri, then you're missing out on an excellent sauce for steak.
At first glance, pesto and chimichurri look alike, but they are actually worlds apart.
Chimichurri is green thanks to parsley, and since olive oil is
not traditional in Argentinian cooking, sunflower oil is used in most recipes.
Chimichurri is anything but bland, however. Oregano lends a hand to the parsley,
and the addition of vinegar, lime juice, garlic, and chili peppers makes for a subtly zingy sauce
that enhances steak without overwhelming it. If you want an authentic Argentinian version, you can
chop the herbs on a board, but a blender or food processor work in a pinch. Since chimichurri can
be stored for up to five days in the fridge, make extra and plan other meals around it.
In Argentina, chimichurri is served alongside asado or grilled beef. Though everyone puts their
spin on this national favorite, it's agreed that the duo is an Argentine expression of
love and friendship. However, don't be afraid to use chimichurri anywhere you want to add a punch
of flavor. Add it to vegetables, seafood, and tacos, or eat it with a spoon — we won't judge.
Cowboy butter is a compound butter, a playful name for butter whipped with herbs, garlic,
and even fruit. It's an effortless way to bring a stylish flair to any meal.
Cowboy butter is versatile and incredibly delicious on steak. It melts on top while
the steak rests, creating excellent flavors while remaining light and fresh thanks to its
two main ingredients — parsley and lemon. While cowboy butter is meant to be served with beef,
it's fabulous with chicken, seafood, bread, and vegetables.
Make a big batch to store in the refrigerator or freeze it for up to three months.
All you need to make cowboy butter is fresh parsley, garlic, a lemon, red pepper flakes,
salt, and pepper. Adjust the flavor to your taste and serve it any way you like. You can roll it up,
slicing off pieces as you need them. Or you could put it in a lidded bowl and form it
into individual portions with a melon baller, ice cube tray, or small molds. Whatever you choose,
your next steak with cowboy butter will be undeniably scrumptious.
If Cherry barbecue sauce is anything…
"It's a game-changer!"
As far as dipping sauces go, it is irresistibly sweet and smoky hot. Meanwhile, paired with beef,
the flavors blend with savory sweetness. Salt also enhances sweetness, making the combination
practically irresistible. Think of cherry barbecue sauce as the ultimate umami enhancer.
Fresh cherries are in season from late spring to summer, so that's the time to buy them as
they are genuinely seasonal crops and aren't grown in greenhouses around the country in the winter.
In the United States, sweet cherries only grow in California, Washington, and Oregon,
so out-of-season cherries generally come from Chile and cost a lot more. But, since cherry
season overlaps with grilling season, it's easy to add cherry barbecue sauce to the summer menu.
Start with a barbecue sauce base using your preferred combination of tomato paste or sauce,
apple cider vinegar, molasses, sugar, garlic, onion, and liquid smoke.
Add pitted sweet cherries and ancho chili powder and simmer until thickened. Puréeing the sauce
before serving makes it look like any barbecue sauce, but the blended taste is spectacular.
Japanese steak houses are not just famous for theatrics and volcanic onions.
Part of the reason so many Americans love the overall dining experience
involves the tasty dipping sauces served along with bites of steak, chicken, seafood,
and veggies. You can recreate the ginger dipping sauce served at teppanyaki restaurants by blending
raw onion, garlic, fresh lemon, soy sauce, vinegar, and a knob or two of fresh ginger.
Let the sauce sit for an hour or two while the flavors combine, then taste and adjust.
Fresh, raw ginger is another powerful addition to a healthy diet,
offering benefits like reduced cholesterol, lighter menstrual cramps, and antioxidants.
Knobs of ginger can be found in the produce section near onions and garlic.
If you slice it into rounds and store it in a jar of vodka in the refrigerator,
it should stay fresh and ready to cook for weeks, as long as the liquid remains clear.
Red peppers are culinary heroes, packing a punch of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants in a sweet,
crunchy, and low-calorie package. Though some people experience digestive issues when eating
them, that can be avoided by roasting the pepper and removing the troublesome skin.
Roasted red peppers with a tender steak will certainly satisfy
any sweet-and-savory cravings, and you can customize your dip to please any palate.
You can use roasted red pepper pasta sauce for a milder sauce that kids will love.
Roast peppers, onions, and garlic, removing the pepper skins after cooling.
Purée with canned tomatoes and season with Italian herbs for an easy sauce that will
make enough for steak one night and pasta the next. That's meal prepping without even trying!
If you want a spicier, smoky version of a red pepper sauce, muhammara is a Syrian pepper
dip that can stand up to any steak. Its main ingredients are roasted red peppers, walnuts,
and breadcrumbs. It includes Middle Eastern flavors you might not have in your kitchen,
like Aleppo peppers, pomegranate molasses, and sumac, but don't worry. Lemon juice and honey
can stand in for pomegranate molasses. While sumac is a great spice to have in your pantry,
most cooks alter muhammara as they wish, so flavor with your heart.
If you want to indulge your senses, there's nothing like steak served with a creamy sauce.
Whiskey cream sauce elevates the smoky flavor of beef into something special.
No need to worry about your cooking skills; this sauce is straightforward. It's quick to
make on a busy weeknight but could also be served at the fanciest dinner party.
Start by bringing some beef broth to a boil. If you cook your steak on the stovetop, deglaze the
pan first — it adds a ton of flavor to the sauce and makes the pan easier to clean. While the broth
comes to a low boil, stir in some whiskey and a spoonful of Dijon mustard for a kick.
Once the sauce comes to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for up to 15 minutes,
reducing and thickening it slightly. While it simmers, take a spoonful of cornstarch and add a
splash of whiskey, whisking it to a smooth slurry. Once the sauce reduces, add a generous dollop of
heavy cream and seasonings to suit your menu. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper,
thyme, and rosemary are all possibilities. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce in a stream,
whisking constantly. Watch the sauce become glossy and thicken perfectly;
serve immediately and get used to your dinner guests yelling…
"Oh my god! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, yes, yes, yes, yes!"
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