Father’s Day is approaching. With summer in full swing, many families light up the grill to celebrate Father’s Day. Dad deserves a nice big steak. Today, I want to show you how to enhance dad’s favorite cut of meat by adding any of these sauces, Béarnaise, Chimichurri or Creamy Peppercorn.
Adding a sauce to a steak will add many layers of flavor to a steak off the grill. While these sauces are great on steaks, they are not limited to beef. They also work well with fish and chicken. So if dad prefers something other than a steak, these sauces are great accompaniments.
This is a classic French Sauce. The first time I saw a steak topped with a fancy sauce was at LeRuth’s. The herbs that are added to the mother sauce, Hollandaise, brings another level of flavor to any dish. Béarnaise sauce is one of my favorite dish enhancements.
Béarnaise Sauce
2 tablespoons dried Tarragon
¾ cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Shallots, minced
2 Egg Yolks
1 Whole Egg
2 Sticks (1/2 pound) Margarine
1 Stick (1/4 pound) Butter
1 ½ teaspoon Lemon Juice
½ teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
½ teaspoon Ground White Pepper
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
In a heavy skillet over medium heat, sauté tarragon, red wine vinegar and shallots for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture becomes paste-like and remove from heat. Melt margarine and butter over medium heat. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and allow to cool. In a blender, blend egg yolks, egg, vinegar, cayenne, white pepper, and lemon juice. With blender on, pour melted margarine/butter slowly into other ingredients. Blend to thicken. Add the tarragon mixture and blend well.
I know that Béarnaise sauce can be a bit on the heavy side. Chimichurri sauce is light, fresh and good for you. This non-cooked sauce originates from Argentina. It contains antioxidants and healthy fats. It is also very flavor-able.
Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf Parsley, trimmed of thick stems
3-4 Garlic Cloves
2 Tbsps fresh Oregano leaves (can sub 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Red or White Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
Finely chop the parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic (or process in a food processor several pulses). Place in a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings.Serve immediately or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving. Can keep for a day or two.
Steak au Poivre is a classic French preparation of a steak topped with a peppercorn sauce. Although usually prepared with a Filet, any steak will benefit from the addition of this Creamy Peppercorn sauce. Many people will think that this is a spicy sauce. Don’t let the name fool you. Green peppercorns are the mildest of the peppercorns.
Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
4 tablespoons Butter
4 Shallots, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1/4 cup Green Peppercorns, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon Corn Starch
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon fresh Thyme Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add shallots and garlic; cook and stir for two minutes. Add peppercorns; cook for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3 minutes or until slightly reduced. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cream until smooth. Gradually whisk cream into sauce until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in thyme and season with salt and pepper.
I hope everyone has a Happy Father’s Day. Whether it is steak, fish or chicken, the additions of these sauces will make dad happy. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite sayings: “Good Cooking, Good Eating and Good Living!!!”
