5 Sauces To Pair With Your Next Steak
When you make a great steak it’s only natural that you would want to create the perfect pairings with it. Yet finding that perfect sauce to pair with your steak can be a struggle. Depending upon seasonings and flavor profile it can feel downright impossible. Yet with a little direction and flavor know-how, it can be made easy! Here are 5 sauces to pair with your next steak.
This sauce will compliment any steak.1. Classic With A Twist
We are familiar with the classic taste of steak sauce. That special smokey steakhouse flavor that is unforgettable. Yet if you have had it more than once, it can feel a little boring, and frankly, outdated. Yet there is a new way to update that sauce. Most steak sauce has a brown sugar and worecestershire sauce base. But did you know you can add a little more life into it by adding some jam and pepper sauce? The jam adds some thickness and sweet texture that compliments the slow burn of the pepper sauce. This sauce is perfect for when you’re looking to challenge traditional taste and add some heat to your steak. And while this sauce still has traces of that sweet classic, these flavors will be unforgettable and will never bore you.
This sauce adds a sweet bite to your next steak.2. Horseradish Sauce
This wouldn’t be a steak sauce list without this tangy classic. Horseradish sauce is not for everyone, as it has a very strong and distinct flavor that some shy away from. Horseradish sauce can either be bought or made from scratch and adds that sense of beautiful texture to a wonderful steak. Steak is naturally rich and tender in flavor. Yet with this sauce, it adds a layer of bite, heat and complexity that makes a simple steak into a work of art. And most recipes for this sauce contain some sort of vinegar, giving it that sharp and sweet bite. The acidity levels of the vinegar acts as a counterbalance to a perfectly rich piece of meat. The purpose for a sauce in this instance is to give you that breath of fresh air and balance from the steak. Without this counterbalance your steak would be too rich for you to finish. This sauce also pairs wonderfully with mashed potatoes and makes for a great little pick me up in various steakhouse side dishes.
This sauce adds a sense of elegance to any steak dinner.3. Red Wine Sauce
This would not be a steak sauce list without the ultimate classic, red wine steak sauce. This sauce is easy to make, and has a deep richness that compliments this naturally complex meat. Red wine sauce is simply dijon mustard, red wine, garlic salt and pepper. Cooked over a low heat. And while this sauce is easy to make, the quality of this sauce can determine what type of wine you choose to use. Do not use a bottom shelf wine for making a steak sauce. Otherwise you will end up with bottom shelf red wine sauce. Middle shelf pricing works for a wine sauce. It has to be a flavor profile that you enjoy as all the alcohol will cook off when making the sauce, leaving only the flavors left. In addition, this sauce has a subtly dark red color that is beautiful and pairs well with the dark brown and pink tones of a perfectly cooked steak. When you want to make your next steak a work of art, red wine sauce offers that great complex flavor and artistic flair dramatic enough for a steak of high caliber.
4. Chimichurri
Chimichurri is a personal favorite of mine and is favored in Springtime recipes or non traditional renditions on steaks. It’s bright green texture and bright spice are perfect for adding that fresh hello of Spring into your steak. Chimichurri can be bought as a dry spice but I prefer to make it fresh. The ingredients are relatively cheap and the flavors are unforgettable. You will need parsley, peeled and minced garlic, one shallot, a pinch of oregano, 1 small red chili, 1 pinch salt and pepper, and 2 dashes of quality olive oil. Add your ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. And just like that, you have a rich, bright and flavorful steak sauce that is creative and light. Note, you don’t want to lather on your chimichurri like a regular sauce, it has more of a kick and less goes a long way. Yet when you’re looking for that fresh and memorable sauce, chimichurri is a must try for any steak lover.
This decadent delight is full of rich flavor unlike any other.
5. Garlic Butter Sauce
Unlike most steak sauces, this garlic butter sauce pairs with a variety of dishes that go beyond steak. For instance, this garlic butter sauce is great to liven up steak, chicken and even seafood. Snow crab especially is a great pairing for this sauce. This sauce offers that decadent sweetness with the soft bite of garlic that adds a richness to your steak unlike any other. Steak is a naturally rich steak, but with this garlic butter sauce it borderlines on decadence. This steak will certainly fill you up and is one of the more traditional sauces. Yet this sauce is far from outdated and lives on to be one of the steak sauce classics among the culinary world. This sauce simply requires some peeled and minced garlic and melted butter, along with some parsley for garnish. When you’re looking to make that tender, elegant and classic steak, this garlic butter sauce will be your best friend in obtaining those rich decadent flavors.
