For a special dinner, few things are as fail-proof as a juicy, brown-crusted steak. Whether it’s Valentine’s dinner, an anniversary, a meal with guests, or a cozy Friday night in, steak almost always is appropriate for the occasion.
A great steak doesn’t need much—but the right steak sauce can take it from excellent to unforgettable. A traditional steakhouse serves its beef with classics like peppercorn, béarnaise, or a red wine reduction. But you don’t to be a steakhouse chef to whip up these fancy-sounding recipes. Most are actually quite simple. You can even put them together while your meat rests after searing. And with premium beef cuts from FreshDirect, you can get that restaurant experience at home, no reservation required.
Get the instructions below for the five most essential steak sauce recipes. Then select your meat, grab the cloth napkins, and break out a good, full-bodied red wine—just as it’s supposed to be.
Maitre d’Hotel Butter
What You’ll Need:
½ lb (2 sticks) softened butter
Zest from 1 lemon (save flesh for another use)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp thyme
Salt & pepper
What To Do:
Let butter sit at room temperature to soften.
In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until evenly blended. Place on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a cylinder. Place in the refrigerator to firm up.
Horseradish Whipped Cream
What You’ll Need:
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
½ cup prepared horseradish
2 tbsp chives
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
What To Do:
In a medium bowl, whisk heavy cream until thickened, but not yet at soft peaks. Mix in crème fraîche, horseradish, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Blue Cheese Sauce
What You’ll Need:
8 oz heavy cream
6 oz crumbled blue cheese, divided
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
What To Do:
In a medium sauce pan reduce the cream by 1/3 over medium heat. Reduce heat to a low simmer and whisk in 4 oz of the cheese. Add the Worcestershire and Tabasco; continue to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Just before serving add remaining blue cheese.
Peppercorn Sauce
What You’ll Need:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large shallots, sliced
1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
1/2 tsp white peppercorns, crushed
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 tsp red or white wine vinegar
1 container Brodo, Signature Hearth flavor (or 2 cups each chicken and veal stock)
1/2 cup brandy
1 cup heavy cream
What To Do:
Sweat the shallots in butter. Add the crushed peppercorn and toast briefly. Add the wine and vinegar; reduce until almost dry. Reserving one tablespoon of brandy, add the rest to the pan and reduce by a third. Add the Brodo and reduce by three quarters. Add the cream and remaining brandy and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Red Wine Sauce
What You’ll Need:
1 tbsp grapeseed oil or other neutral oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 clove of garlic, minced
2/3 cup button mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 bottle dry red wine
1 container Brodo Beef Bone Broth
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
What To Do:
Sweat the shallots with thyme, bay leaf and garlic until fragrant and translucent. Add mushrooms, red wine vinegar and sugar; reduce until almost dry. Then add the red wine and reduce to a syrup. Add the Brodo and reduce sauce until a thick consistency. Strain. Upon serving, whisk in butter over a low heat until melted and warm.
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