Basic Red Wine Reduction Sauce Recipe for Beef

An Easy but Fancy Recipe

A really good sauce is the perfect way to upgrade your dinner. The key to making a red wine reduction sauce with incredible flavor is choosing a good wine and infusing it with savory herbs, beef stock, and the right cut of beef.

I love serving this sauce for date night, special occasions, and holidays. When I want a rich sauce that is easy to make, this recipe is a great option. 

Best Wine For a Reduction

To make a really delicious sauce, we have to choose a great wine. The wine will be reduced by more than half, which means the flavor will be ultra-concentrated. A dry red wine is a must so that the sauce is not too sweet. My first choices are either a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot. Pinot noir is a popular choice, but I think it's more trendy than anything. The takeaway here, choose a dry full-bodied red wine that you enjoy. And probably that isn't too expensive since it's for a steak sauce.

Best Steak to Serve with This Sauce

My favorite steak to serve with this red wine sauce is a filet mignon. The sauce is so silky and delicious, it really takes the tender lean cut of steak to the next level. Here are some more options for different reasons.

Flank Steak or Tri-tip- I know these are not fancy, however, if you want to have a dinner party and serve several people, these are affordable cuts of red meat that pair with this sauce really well. If thick ribeye steaks or a New York is more your speed, those will work just fine as well.

Red Wine Sauce Ingredients

• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 mushrooms (either white mushrooms or cremini)
• 1 medium shallot
• 1 clove garlic (or more if you want more garlic flavor)
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• black peppercorns

Steak Ingredients

• 2 steaks- choose a good quality cut
• olive oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

Cooking Your Beautiful Steak

1. Pat the steaks dry and season them on all sides with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. 
2. Set a medium sauce pan or cast iron pan over medium-high heat and let it preheat for 1-2 minutes.
3. When the pan is hot, add some olive oil and swirl it around the pan. Add the steaks and sear them on each side for 2-3 minutes per side. 
4. After the steak has built a nice crust on all sides, tranfer them to a sheet pan lined with a wire rack to the oven and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 125˚F.
5. When the steak reach their desired temperature, remove them from the oven and let them rest before slicing. 

Step-By-Step Sauce Instructions

After you sear the steaks and remove them from the pan, do not wash the pan. We will make our sauce right in the same pan. 

Before you begin, prepare the aromatics and measure the other ingredients. Peel and smash the fresh garlic cloves. Cut the mushrooms into quarters. Peel the shallot and cut it in half.

1. Set a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter.
2. When the butter is melted and bubbly, add the shallot, garlic cloves, mushrooms, rosemary, and thyme.
3. After the aromatics have toasted for 2 minutes, add the red wine. Scrape up the browned bits from searing the steaks. Cook the red wine for 4-5 minutes.
4. Next, you can add the beef stock and bay leaf. 
5. Lower the temperature to a medium heat and cook the sauce for 10 minutes or until is has reduced by more than half. 
6. Remove the herbs and aromatics. You can do this by pouring the sauce through a strainer and returning the sauce back to the pan or you can use tongs to remove each item piece-by-piece. Continue reducing the sauce until its about a half of a cup in volume.
7. When the sauce has reduced, turn off the heat. Season the sauce with pepper and check for salt.
8. Last step, whisk in the other tablespoon of butter and transfer to a serving dish. 

Serving Red Wine Reduction Sauce

Once the sauce is ready, you can either serve it immediately in a gravy boat or small bowl. If you are not ready to eat immediately, transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and keep the heat on very low until you are ready to serve. Warm sauce carries the most flavor. 

Making a Complete Meal

This red wine sauce is simple, but elegant. My favorite way to serve the sauce is with a sliced beef tenderloin, creamy mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus. Other side dish options include roasted potatoes with root vegetables, broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts. 

You can also serve this sauce on a grilled pork tenderloin if you want to mix things up. 

Saving Leftover Sauce and Reheating Instructions

Save any leftovers separate from the steak in an airtight container. You can keep this refrigerated for 3-4 days. To reheat, use a small saucepan set over medium-low heat and let the sauce warm up for a few minutes. You can also use the REHEAT setting on your microwave, but be careful to not overdo it. Reheat for just 20-30 seconds at a time and stirring in between.