Name: Cognac and Mustard Pan Sauce
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 4 (Makes about 1/2 cup, enough to sauce 4 steaks)
Cuisine: French, Europe
Ingredients: 2 medium shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup); 1 teaspoon brown sugar; 1/4 cup Cognac; 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces; 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves

Why This Recipe Works

For a pan-seared steak recipe with a full-bodied, complex steak sauce, we cooked the steaks in a high-quality, heavy pan, reducing the heat to prevent burning and moving the steaks only once. By adding a few extra ingredients to the traditional trio of wine or brandy, stock, and butter, we transformed canned stock into a luxurious, refined sauce for our meat.

Instructions

Follow related recipe for Pan-Seared Steaks. To same skillet used to cook steaks (do not clean skillet or discard accumulated fat), add shallots and sugar off heat; using pan’s residual heat, cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are slightly softened and browned and sugar is melted, about 45 seconds. Return skillet to high heat, add cognac and broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom with wooden spoon. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and mustard; cook to blend flavors, about 1 minute longer. Off heat, whisk in butter until melted and sauce is thickened and glossy. Add tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper; spoon over steaks and serve immediately.