Sauce on your grilled steak?

[mdc]

Hey folks - I've taken a renewed interest in grilling-thanks to a new BGE-and I see myself cooking most meat on this gorgeous engine of flavor.

I used to cook steak in a 12" stainless skillet and then deglaze the bits in the pan to make a rich sauce. I feel a sauce makes more of a meal out of a piece of meat. Typically I would pull the steak out and reduce a mix of shallots, red wine, stock, cream, thyme, and butter. Baby shiitakes if I want to take it over the top.

What I'm wondering is do you ever make a sauce for your grilled steaks? What do you make? Details appreciated.

Happy cooking!

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

String him up!

 

[Obiwan]

Depends on mood. Often I will do a similar sauce only with cream sherry and no thyme (occasionally rosemarry if my wife isn't eating.....makes her sick).

 

[DesertJake]

I don't usually do a sauce, but I do like a good chimichurri sauce on a grilled steak.

 

[mdc]

String him up!

Aww come on John, don't be so hurt. I'm sure you know the classic sauce that us Italians put on the most gorgeous Tuscan Chianina steaks. Yeah, I'm talking about olive oil.

 

[ShaveYourSoul]

What an absolutely insane suggestion. Texas is mad at you now

 

[ouch]

Au poivre is a simple classic.

 

[BRuhling]

Let the meat be the star!

 

[RobAtSGH]

On an actual over-the-coals grilled steak, I'm seriously a minimalist. Salt, pepper, olive oil. Maybe a bit of garlic & chive compound butter for serving if I'm feeling frisky. For a pan-seared steak, I like to quick-saute some 'shrooms in the pan while resting the steaks, de-glace with a little beef stock; whisk in a little salt & pepper to taste, smoked paprika, heavy cream and then reduce. Toss in some fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley off the heat, and serve.

 

[intotheforge]

No sauce. Usually I do a marinade or dry seasonings though. Usually just some soy and olive oil and lowry's.

 

[DirtDiver]

On an actual over-the-coals grilled steak, I'm seriously a minimalist. Salt, pepper, olive oil. Maybe a bit of garlic & chive compound butter for serving if I'm feeling frisky. For a pan-seared steak, I like to quick-saute some 'shrooms in the pan while resting the steaks, de-glace with a little beef stock; whisk in a little salt & pepper to taste, smoked paprika, heavy cream and then reduce. Toss in some fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley off the heat, and serve.

this.

also, like if I make a flank steak on the grill... Ill put some salt and pepper on it, little drizzle of olive oil, and a sprig of rosemary draped on top for a hint of the flavor as it cooks. I like to add some applewood or hickory into the smoke box too... but not sauce. If anything, ill smear some black truffle butter on top as it is resting, it is a nice finishing touch.

 

[ouch]

Here's an easy and terrific dish from the 1985 classic series, Great Chefs of New York. Skip to the 5:30 mark for the steak. Not hard at all, and one of the best southwestern preparations for steak I ever tried.

 

[professorchaos]

I might use a compound butter, especially if it includes blue cheese.

 

[thebikingengineer]

A pan sauce is fine, I would normally just deglase with butter (maybe a splash of red wine as well) and pour that over the steak just before service. Your sauce sounds pretty tasty but I'd reserve it for a budget steak, I feel like it would overshadow the flavor of really good beef. I'm a fan of making a pan sauce and pouring that over the potatoes, that way you get the flavors but also let the steak shine.

 

[maxman]

Butter. Either just plain ol' butter or if you like, make up some fun butters.
Gorgonzola butter, lemon and tyme butter, Chili butter and of course the granddaddy of them all, garlic and herb butter.

 

[cody6766]

On the grill, it's just a heavy basting of butter, sometimes compound, sometimes not. Chimichurri is a good idea sometimes, but usually it's just butter.

 

[mdc]

To clarify, lest I'm tarred and feathered. I'm simply wondering who makes a sauce for their grilled steaks, and how one goes about it. I'm not suggesting all grilled steak should be drowned with heavy handed application of anything. Also, if you're concerned about sauce not letting meat "shine", you probably aren't doing it right.

Now, please continue the passionate responses. And thanks!

 

[ouch]

So many ways to finish a steak-

Mexican- saute onion, garlic, bacon, and jalapeno in olive oil, add crushed tomatoes, reduce to thicken, and toss in steak: steak ranchero
Italian- pizzaiola (almost identical to above with obvious corrections) or marsala- mushrooms, butter, and marsala wine
Chinese- saute garlic, shallot, scallion in oil, add stock, soy, and oyster sauce. Thicken and toss in steak for steak kew
Japanese- brush with gyu dare (rice vinegar, sake, mirin, and soy sauce in a ratio of 1:2:2:3), or tare (crushed roasted chicken bones simmered in soy, brown sugar, sake, and mirin until reduced)
French- top with bernaise or bordelaise

There's always ketchup.

 

[treewhale]

Chimichurri is a classic, I keep both Foie Gras and Stilton compound butters in my freezer for grilled steaks, a truffle Aioli on occasion, and there is a steakhouse in town that sells bottles of its Sesame steak sauce that I get quite often.

 

[mdc]

There's always ketchup.

+1 Ketchup, especially on the porterhouse. My fave!

No, seriously, thanks for the ideas. It sounds like you enjoy butter, mostly. Can you recommend any of the approaches you suggested?