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–+ servings
closeup of sliced tenderloin steak with sauce on top
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5 from 2 votes

Red Wine Steak Sauce

Red wine steak sauce is easy to make with just a few ingredients. Pair it with perfectly seared filet mignon for a fancy meal right at home!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 4
Calories: 134kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 2-4 Filet mignon steaks or ANY other favorite steaks
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • kosher coarse salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper

Red Wine Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1-2 shallots depending on size
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp cognac
  • 3/4 cup red wine
  • 1/4 cup beef stock
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter to finish the sauce
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Before Cooking:

  • Make sure to take the steaks out of the refrigerator and out of the package 30-45 minutes before cooking. Let them rest on the cutting board.
  • Prepare and measure all your ingredients before starting to cook.

Cook the Steaks:

  • If using filet mignon: Tie a string of cooking twine around each filet mignon steak. Tie it firm but not too tight where it starts to cut into meat. Trim off long sting ends.
    You do not need to do this with other steaks.
  • Use a paper towel to pat each steak dry.
  • Preheat the skillet over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until very hot. (Different stoves may take different amount of time to preheat.)
  • Season steaks with salt and pepper on all the sides, don’t forget to season around the edges as well.
  • Add oil to the pan and spread it around.
  • Add steaks and let them cook for 3-4 minutes, undisturbed. Flip the steaks with metal tongs and sear steaks for another 3-4 minutes on the other side, also undisturbed.
  • Lower the heat to medium and check temperature of the steaks. Flip the steaks to the other side and cook it for another minute before flipping again. Keep cooking and flipping every about every minute until they are cooked to the desired temperature. Use a digital meat thermometer to measure for the desired doneness.
  • Take steaks out and set aside to rest.

Red Wine Sauce:

  • Raise the heat back to medium-high and add a little more oil to the pan if needed.
  • Add shallots and cook until completely softened and browned. Stir in garlic and let it sear a few seconds, until fragrant.
  • Pour in cognac and simmer until reduced by half.
  • Pour in red wine, stir and simmer until also reduced by about half.
  • Stir in beef stock, thyme, and some salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for a few minutes, until reduced some more, and take off heat.
  • Mix in butter until melted and sauce is glossy and serve with steaks!

Video

Notes

  • Nutrition notes: please note that nutritional value above is calculated only for the sauce. Each type of steak will take a different nutritional information. 
  • Wine: You want to use a rich and full bodied red wine. I recommend a nice Zinfandel, Malbec, or Pinot Noire. These wines are not too dry, have a very slight sweetness to them, and are rich and full bodied.
    Make sure to NOT use any sweet wines!
  • Don’t forget to finish the sauce with butter when you take it off the heat for a beautiful glossy finish.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg