How to Make a Red Wine Reduction for Steak

Last Updated: June 28, 2022 Tested

A red wine reduction is a sauce made with red wine, beef broth and aromatic vegetables and is used to drizzle over steaks and roasts. This reduction sauce adds flavor and richness to the dish, but the alcohol will evaporate during cooking. Here are some tips on how to make a red wine reduction for steak.

Steps

1
Heat a pan.
- Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to heat for 1-to-2 minutes.
2
Add oil to the pan.
- Pour olive oil into the pan and swirl the pan so the oil evenly coats the bottom. Let the oil heat up in the pan for 2-to-3 minutes.
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3
Sauté vegetables.
- Add minced garlic and onion to the hot oil. Cook the garlic and onion for 3-to-4 minutes or until they soften and start to become translucent. Stir the vegetables continuously to cook them evenly.
- Reduce the heat under the pan slightly if the garlic and onion start to brown or smell bitter. This means your pan is too hot and the vegetables are starting to burn, which will give your sauce a bitter taste.
4
Simmer the broth.
- Add beef broth to the pan. Use a spoon or whisk to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the beef broth.
- Reduce the heat under the pan to low, cover it and allow the beef broth to simmer for 20 minutes. Upon completion, the volume of liquid in the pan should be reduced by about half.
5
Stir in the wine.
- Stir the reduced beef broth and add the wine to the pan. Stir the mixture so the wine and broth are combined.
6
Simmer the sauce.
- Cover the pan again and allow the sauce to simmer for another 20 minutes. Stir the sauce halfway through this period to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. The volume in the pan will reduce by about 1/3 during this time.
7
Check the sauce's consistency.
- Dip a spoon into the sauce and turn it over. The reduction is the desired consistency if it holds to the back of the spoon and glazes it instead of running off. If the sauce is too runny, let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
8
Season to taste.
9
Finish the reduction for steak by adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve it with your favorite cut of steak or roast.