Wine Merchant's Sauce
I learned this sauce some years ago when I visited Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the town where the famous wine is from in Provence, France. It's become one of my favorites for both beef and lamb cooked on top the stove. It takes no time at all to do!
The recipe for the sauce begins when the meat is cooked and you take it from the pan. Here goes:
Wine Merchant’s Sauce
(Marchand de Vin)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3/4 cup dry red wine (such as Côtes du Rhône or Zinfandel)
Another 1/2 cup of the wine
3 tablespoons additional butter
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste
1. Pour off the fat from the pan, but do not wash it. The particles of caramelized meat juices adhering to the pan will contribute to the success of your sauce.
2. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the shallots to the hot pan. Sauté the shallots over low heat for about 3 minutes, then pour in the red wine. Raise the heat and cook until the wine is reduced to almost a syrup. Add the 1/2 cup wine, and reduce again. This time, leave a little more juice (about 1/3 cup in all). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is absorbed and the sauce is thickened. Add freshly ground pepper and taste before adding salt. It may very well be salty enough.
3. To serve, arrange the meat on hot plates. Stir into the sauce any juices that have accumulated on the plate during the meat’s rest. Nap the meat with the sauce, sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley, and serve.