This recipe takes its inspiration from the classic French dish "Steak au Vin Rouge". It's very straightforward and you can substitute the redcurrant jelly for cranberry sauce leftover from Christmas! This recipe is for two - perfect for a romantic dinner - but the quantities can be increased for a crowd. It's worth noting, if you're coeliac or avoiding wheat flour, that the sauce is flourless.
-
2
small
shallots, peeled and very finely chopped
-
150
ml
red wine
-
2
sprigs
fresh thyme
-
1
bay leaf
-
1
tsp
redcurrant jelly
-
75
ml
hot beef stock
-
2
thick-cut sirloin steaks with a good marbling of fat
-
15
g
butter, diced
-
1
Dessertspoon
chopped parsley
- Place the shallots in a small saucepan.
- Add the wine, thyme, bay leaf and redcurrant jelly and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until reduced by about two thirds, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't reduce too much, as it is only a small amount of liquid.
- Take out the herbs and pour in the stock, then bring back to simmering point and let it bubble away for a minute of so before removing from the heat. Set aside.
- Now you need to cook the steaks. A heavy-bottomed griddle pan is best for this. Brush the steak with oil, season (do this just before cooking as salt can cause steak to toughen). Meanwhile, heat the pan and then add a little oil. Put two plates in the oven on very low heat just to warm them, then cook the steaks to your liking before resting them on the plates (to help tenderise as the meat relaxes) in the warm oven for a few minutes while you finish the sauce.
- Tip pan juices into the sauce and return the pan to the hob on a low heat to gently warm the sauce. Whisk in the butter a little at a time. Remove from the heat, add a squeeze of lemon juice and the parsley, and then your sauce is ready.
- Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately. This dish is lovely with chips, new potatoes or baked potatoes and a selection of seasonal vegetables.
