6 HOMEMADE SAUCES FOR STEAK & PORK

Sauce with meat: for some it is almost sacrilegious. But forgive us if you disagree — we love it from time to time. Not always of course and not with every cut, but when we go all out for a dinner, a beautiful sauce is definitely welcome. Homemade only of course, no jars or packets and always served on the side. Which sauces do we enjoy most with meat? We are sharing a few recipes with you.

Because pepper sauce is always a good idea. Here is a version with creme fraiche and butter, wonderfully creamy ;-)

• 30 grams butter
• 30 grams flour
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 350 ml beef stock (a cube is fine)
• 2 tablespoons green peppercorns (in brine, not dried)
• 75 grams creme fraiche
• Freshly ground pepper
• Sea salt

Sauté the chopped shallot in the butter and whisk in the flour. Slowly pour in the cold stock while stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a boil and let it simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to reduce. Drain the peppercorns and add them to the sauce. Stir the mustard and creme fraiche into the pepper sauce and season with pepper and salt. Be generous with the black pepper to give it a nice kick.

Definitely one of our favourites: red wine sauce. Delicious with a beautiful tournedos, especially in autumn and winter.

• 150 ml red wine
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 10 peppercorns
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 250 ml veal stock
• Juice of half a lemon
• 80 grams butter
• Salt to taste

Breng de rode wijn met de gesnipperde sjalot, de peperkorrels, verse tijm en laurier aan de kook en laat tot de helft inkoken.
Voeg de kalfsfond toe en laat inkoken tot de gewenste smaak en dikte.
Zeef en breng op smaak met zout en citroensap.
Zet de pan op een laag vuur en voeg de koude boter in 4 stappen toe. Let wel op dat de saus nu niet meer kookt!

In BBQ land often

• 100 ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Leaves from 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bunch fresh oregano
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 1 bunch chives
• 1 red chili, finely chopped
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Put all the dry ingredients, except the onion and the chili, into a mortar and grind them into a smooth mixture. Add the oil little by little while mixing. Then add the vinegar and stir well until you have a smooth sauce. Finally, add the onion and the chili and give everything another good stir. Et voilà: a delicious Argentine sauce to serve with your steak.

Another one of those classics: béarnaise sauce. Delicious. And there are many variations, but this is the basic version:

• 50 grams shallot, finely chopped
• 1 dl tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 dl water
• 10 white peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 egg yolks
• 600 grams melted butter
• Juice of half a small lemon
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chervil, finely chopped (optional)
• Salt

Heat the chopped shallot, vinegar, water, white peppercorns and bay leaf in a pan. Reduce the liquid by half. Strain and let it cool slightly to about 50°C. Add the egg yolks.
Whisk into a thick, airy mixture — either in a small pan over low heat or au bain marie in a bowl. Gradually add the melted butter, whisking continuously. Season with lemon juice and salt.
Add the finely chopped tarragon and optionally the chervil.

A fairly bold sauce: stroganoff sauce. Delicious with a good schnitzel or pork fillet.

Ingredients stroganoff sauce

• 100 grams shallot, finely chopped
• 200 grams red bell pepper
• 300 grams mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic 50 grams butter
• 10 grams paprika powder
• 100 grams tomato paste
• 100 grams vodka
• 800 ml veal stock
• 200 ml cream
• Parsley, chopped
• Pickles, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Making stroganoff sauce

Finely chop the shallot and garlic. Cut the pepper into small cubes and the mushrooms into quarters lengthwise. Heat the butter in a large pan until foamy and sauté the shallot, garlic and paprika powder.

Add the pepper and mushrooms and sauté again.

Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the vodka and flambé. Deglaze with the veal stock and cream. Let it simmer for 10 minutes over low heat and season with salt and pepper. Finish the sauce with chopped parsley and chopped pickles.

Another sauce that pairs beautifully with schnitzel and pork: jagersauce. It also works well with certain types of game or to dress up your chicken.

• 40 grams butter
• 20 grams flour
• 1 shallot
• 1 red bell pepper
• 100 grams mushrooms
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 250 ml beef stock (from a stock cube)
• Madeira to taste
• Salt, pepper

Finely chop the shallot, slice the mushrooms and cut the pepper into small cubes. Gently sauté everything together in the butter over low heat, without letting it brown. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Then stir in the flour.
Pour in the beef stock and let the sauce cook for 10 minutes, stirring well. Season with salt, pepper and Madeira.