When you are craving a good steak, nothing enhances that experience like a delicious sauce. Grilling is always a great way to cook a steak but pan searing allows you to use all the browned bits (fond) in the pan to make a rich sauce. It’s kind of like the trade off when you grill your thanksgiving turkey but it’s complicated to make gravy. So today we are going show you how to pan sear a steak and make a simple sauce for it.
Ingredients
Steak
McEvoy Ranch Red Piano Blend Wine
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Creme Fraiche
Olive and Red Pepper Tapenade
Herbs
Salad Greens
Directions
I’ve chosen some grass fed beef filets. Let me give you a couple of tips for cooking steak - season your meat ahead of time - I’m just using sea salt and black pepper. Bring the steak to room temperature before cooking, dry off any accumulated moisture on the steak before adding to the pan and, rub the meat with a thin layer of olive oil. Be aware when you are cooking grass fed meat that it cooks and dries out more quickly than corn fed beef, so be alert to your timing.
My go to pan when high heat is required for searing is cast iron. This pan belonged to my grandmother and there have been many delicious sauces created in it.
I’m going to heat the pan until it is hard to hold my hand above the middle. Then I am going to add my steak and listen for the sizzle. Be patient - You will be rewarded with a delicious crust on your steak if you are patient. After approximately 3 minutes on one side, turn your steak over and sear the other side. The timing on this will vary a lot depending on the size and thickness of your steak.
You can test the steak for doneness with a meat thermometer or you can learn how to feel the steak for doneness. Take your non dominant hand, put your thumb and index finger together (do not press). Feel the large muscle at the base of your thumb - that is what rare feels like. Move to your middle finger and you have medium rare. Ring finger - medium and the little finger indicates well done. It isn’t foolproof but if you don’t have a thermometer, it can help. Remember that hot food keeps cooking so factor that in when you are making a decision about doneness. Your steak will finish cooking while it rests - approximately 5 minutes - again depending on the size of your steak. It is important to rest meat before cutting into it to ensure the juice stays in the meat and does not spill out onto your plate.
Pour 1/4 cup McEvoy Ranch Red Piano wine into the pan to deglaze. Simmer to reduce and until you can no longer smell alcohol. Add a generous spoonful of McEvoy Ranch Olive and Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade, some Bellwether Farm’s creme fraiche and let simmer until smooth and combined.
I am going to pour the pan sauce over the rested steak which I have placed on top of a green salad. The sauce and pan juices from the steak will dress the greens which will be so delicious to eat with the steak. Add a sprinkle of fresh herbs for color and brightness. Luscious steak - simple, foolproof sauce.
Pour a glass of McEvoy Ranch's bold and beautiful Red Piano, a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Alicante - Enjoy!
I’m going to heat the pan until it is hard to hold my hand above the middle. Then I am going to add my steak and listen for the sizzle. Be patient - You will be rewarded with a delicious crust on your steak if you are patient. After approximately 3 minutes on one side, turn your steak over and sear the other side. The timing on this will vary a lot depending on the size and thickness of your steak.
You can test the steak for doneness with a meat thermometer or you can learn how to feel the steak for doneness. Take your non dominant hand, put your thumb and index finger together (do not press). Feel the large muscle at the base of your thumb - that is what rare feels like. Move to your middle finger and you have medium rare. Ring finger - medium and the little finger indicates well done. It isn’t foolproof but if you don’t have a thermometer, it can help. Remember that hot food keeps cooking so factor that in when you are making a decision about doneness. Your steak will finish cooking while it rests - approximately 5 minutes - again depending on the size of your steak. It is important to rest meat before cutting into it to ensure the juice stays in the meat and does not spill out onto your plate.
Pour 1/4 cup McEvoy Ranch Red Piano wine into the pan to deglaze. Simmer to reduce and until you can no longer smell alcohol. Add a generous spoonful of McEvoy Ranch Olive and Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade, some Bellwether Farm’s creme fraiche and let simmer until smooth and combined.
I am going to pour the pan sauce over the rested steak which I have placed on top of a green salad. The sauce and pan juices from the steak will dress the greens which will be so delicious to eat with the steak. Add a sprinkle of fresh herbs for color and brightness. Luscious steak - simple, foolproof sauce.
Pour a glass of McEvoy Ranch's bold and beautiful Red Piano, a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Alicante - Enjoy!
