Pan-Seared Steaks with Red Wine Pan Sauce Recipe

Pan-seared steak is an easy and elegant meal when you take the time to put together a quick pan sauce while the meat rests.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated August 09, 2018
20180521-broken-pan-sauce-vicky-wasik-13

A pan-seared steak served with a wine-enriched pan sauce is a simple and elegant meal, and you don't have to wait until you got to a fancy restaurant to have it. Cooking the steaks in a searing hot pan for a few minutes, then flipping them over and basting them with a aromatic butter mixture will ensure evenly cooked steak, cooked to the temperature you desire. And while the meat rests, you can whip up a quick pan sauce using the steak drippings.

Does a pan sauce sound tricky? It isn't! Here's a primer on how to make a pan sauce, and how to fix one if it breaks.

Recipe Details

Pan-Seared Steaks with Red Wine Pan Sauce Recipe

Cook 12 mins
Rest 10 mins
Total 22 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Steak:

  • 4 steaks, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches thick, about 8-ounces each (see note)

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 4 sprigs thyme

  • 1 shallot, sliced thin

For the Pan Sauce (optional):

  • 1 shallot, finely minced

  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 cup dry red wine

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon minced parsley

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Season steaks generously on all surfaces with kosher salt and black pepper. Add vegetable oil to 12-inch, heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Heat over high heat until oil just begins to smoke. Add steaks to pan, and cook without moving until deep golden-brown crust develops on first side, three to four minutes. Flip steaks over.

  2. Add butter, thyme sprigs, and shallots to pan. Turn heat down to medium-high. Continue to cook, occasionally basting steaks by tilting pan towards you and spooning hot fat over surface of steaks. If steaks start to become too dark, turn lower heat. Continue to cook until instant-read thermometer inserted in to center of steak registers 125°F for medium-rare (between three and seven minutes, depending on how powerful your range is). Remove steaks from pan, place on rack set in rimmed baking sheet, pour fat, shallots, and thyme from pan over steaks, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for until center of steak cools to 120°F (about ten minutes). Meanwhile, make pan sauce if desired.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
596Calories
42gFat
3gCarbs
50gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories596
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 42g54%
Saturated Fat 16g78%
Cholesterol 172mg57%
Sodium 594mg26%
Total Carbohydrate 3g1%
Dietary Fiber 1g2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 50g
Vitamin C 2mg8%
Calcium 35mg3%
Iron 5mg25%
Potassium 581mg12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes