Beef Reduction Recipes

RED WINE REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallot in hot oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Pour wine into saucepan; cook, stirring regularly, until reduced in volume by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir beef broth with the wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir butter and Italian seasoning into the sauce; cook until butter is completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt.

MASTER RECIPE: BEEF STOCK/RED WINE REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. Gather your ingredients.
• 3. Add all the ingredients, except the butter, salt, and pepper, into a reduction pan, or saucepan, over medium heat.
• 4. Bring to a simmer, and allow the liquid to slowly reduce to about 1/2 cup.
• 5. Chef's Note: Depending on the surface area of the pan you are using this could take from 45 to 90 minutes. Have patience, it will happen... and you will be happy when it does.
• 6. Remove the sauce from the heat, and then strain out the bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme sprig.
• 7. Return the liquid to the saucepan.
• 8. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until fully incorporated.
• 9. Chef's Note: Taste and add a bit of salt and/or pepper, if needed.
• 10. Cover and keep warm, until needed.
• 11. PLATE/PRESENT
• 12. This sauce is excellent when drizzled over just about any cut of beef, especially a nice medium-rare beef tenderloin.
• 13. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

BEEF REDUCTION

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush heavy large roasting pan with olive oil. Place shank pieces in prepared pan; scatter carrots and onion around shanks. Roast until meat is brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer beef and vegetables to heavy large saucepan. Place roasting pan over medium heat. Add brandy and stir 1 minute, scraping up browned bits, then add to beef and vegetables. Add 4 cups water, beef broth, and thyme sprigs. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 cups, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Strain broth. Chill uncovered until cool, then cover and keep chilled. Remove fat from surface. DO AHEAD:Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep chilled.

BEEF REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Arrange on a heavy-duty baking sheet or in a roasting pan: 3 pounds beef bones, preferably a mixture of meaty bones and knuckles.
• Roast in a 400°F oven until quite brown, about 40 to 50 minutes. While the bones are roasting, put a heavy stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 pound beef, such as shank, shin, or chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Brown the meat well, stirring now and then. When well browned, pour off most of the fat and add: 1 carrot, peeled and cut into large pieces, 1 onion, peeled and cut into large pieces, 1 celery stalk, cut into large pieces, A pinch of salt.
• Cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are wilted. Be sure to not let the bottom of the pan burn. Add: 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 whole clove, 2 allspice berries, 3 thyme sprigs, A few parsley stems, 1 cup dry red wine.
• Stir well, scraping up any brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Cook the wine until it has reduced significantly. Add the browned bones and: 5 cups chicken or beef broth.
• Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and skim any foam that has collected on the surface. Pour off the fat from the pan the bones were browned in. If there are any brown bits sticking to it, add a bit of broth from the pot, scrape them up, and tip the liquid back into the pot. Cook, at a simmer, for 3 to 4 hours. Strain, pressing well on the meat and vegetables to extract all the juices. Skim off any fat and pour into a shallow pan to reduce. Cook at a rapid boil until reduced to 1 cup. Season with salt to taste.
• Use white wine instead of red.
• Use 3 pounds lamb bones (1 pound of which is meaty neck bone) and 1/4 pound lamb meat instead of beef bones and meat.
• Use 3 pounds pork bones and 1/2 pound pork meat instead of beef.
• Use 1 chicken carcass and 2 or 3 whole legs instead of beef bones and meat. Chop up the carcass before browning for maximum flavor extraction.
• Instead of beef, use 1 duck carcass and about 1/2 pound meaty duck scraps such as tenderloins or legs. Chop up the carcass before browning.

BASIC REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove the roast and pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of the cooking fat (if there are nonfatty juices in the skillet or roasting pan, leave them there). Place the roasting pan over high heat. (Use two burners if the pan is large.) Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 1 minute.
• Add the liquid and cook, stirring and scraping to loosen the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Allow the liquid to boil for about 5 minutes, or until about a third of it evaporates. (This is a good time to carve the meat; the boiling liquid needs only occasional stirring.)
• Turn the heat to medium-low and add the butter or oil, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. Taste and season if necessary with salt and pepper, then serve with the meat.

GARLIC BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH RED WINE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275 degrees. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear short ribs on all sides until deeply and evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate and continue with remaining ribs.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of remaining fat, leaving the good browned bits behind. Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic, cut side down and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and continue to cook until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste has started to caramelize a bit on the bottom and up the edges of the pot, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add red wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned or caramelized bits. Let this simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just to take the edge off and reduce a bit. Stir in beef stock along with thyme. Using tongs, return short ribs to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated, nestling them in there so that they are submerged (if they are just barely covered, nestle them bone side up so that all the meat is submerged, adding more beef stock or water as necessary to cover). Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven.
• Cook, undisturbed, until short ribs are meltingly tender and falling off the bone (you should be able to shred the meat with a fork), 3½ to 4 hours.
• Using tongs, remove the ribs from the pot, taking care (for presentation purposes, really) not to let the bone slip out and transfer them to a large plate. (While you could serve the short ribs right out of this pot, the vegetables have all given up their flavor and texture and aren't worth much now, so feel free to strain the sauce for easier eating.) Scatter parsley, chives and lemon zest over the top of the short ribs. Separate the fat from the sauce, season with salt and pepper and serve alongside.

FILET MIGNON WITH RICH BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over both sides of each steak, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place steaks in hot pan, and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add balsamic vinegar and red wine. Cover, and cook for 4 minutes on each side, basting with sauce when you turn the meat over.
• Remove steaks to two warmed plates, spoon one tablespoon of glaze over each, and serve immediately.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH A RED WINE REDUCTION

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300.
• Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
• Place a large stock pot over HIGH heat. When hot, add the olive oil.
• Sear the short ribs on all sides until dark brown (about 2 minutes per side).
• Once brown, remove and place in a braising pan or dutch oven.
• Discard the oil, add fresh oil, and then saute all vegetables until brown. Add tomato paste and red wine, scraping up all bits of the pan.
• Pour the vegetable mixture over the short ribs. Add rosemary and thyme. Add beef broth until ribs are completely submerged.
• Cover with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. Braising time is between 3-4 hours.
• Once the short ribs are tender, remove from the liquid and set them aside on a plate (cover with foil).
• Strain the braising liquid and allow to sit and cool for 30 minutes to allow the fat to rise to the top.
• Skim the fat off the top using a ladle and discard.
• Place the remaining liquid in a sauce pan, add honey and balsamic vinegar, and reduce by half over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. To thicken, mix flour and cold water to create a slurry, then slowly whisk into sauce until desired consistency is reached.
• If necessary, reheat the short ribs in the sauce in the oven until hot. Serve.