A Bistro Approach to Beef: Skirt Steak with Caramelized Shallots and Red Wine Jus

Other than a few hamburgers (Mustards Grill, Taylor’s, and In-N-Out Burger), I haven’t had any red meat out here in cabernet country. Also, there is an organic butcher located in the Oxbow Market with a great looking selection that I wanted to try out. So, I was looking forward to trying this steak recipe from The Bouchon Cookbook (p. 209). Plus, one thing that I like about bistro fare is that it uses inexpensive yet flavorful cuts, e.g. skirt and hanger steak, rather than strip or filet.

I bought a one pound piece of skirt steak from the Five Dot Ranch counter at Oxbow. A California purveyor of, in their words, “natural” beef. According to their brochure, this means that the cows are raised without antibiotics or additional hormones and are given the freedom to roam in open grazing spaces. At $9.99 per pound, I was able to get two good-sized servings for about $10.

I began with a sauce: a red wine jus. The first step was to develop a flavor-rich and concentrated base. The jus uses a base of reduced cabernet sauvignon with herbs (bay, thyme, parsley) and vegetables (leek, carrot, onion, mushroom). This mixture was reduced for approximately 50 minutes (I think I should have had it on slightly higher heat, but I’m still trying to master the concept and appearance of a “simmer”).

(The red wine jus base at the beginning of the reduction.)

(After 50 minutes of reducing.)

To this base, the recipe called for 2.5 cups of veal stock. I did not have veal stock, so I used a blend of Kitchen Basics beef and chicken stocks. I know that this was not ideal, but I had chicken stock that I needed to use. I also added a small “juice-box” sized container of beef stock, to make the jus more similar in flavor to the beef. This mixture was then further reduced for another thirty minutes at a simmer and seasoned to taste. I left it on the stove on a very low heat while I prepared the steaks and shallots.

I put a stainless-steel skillet on medium-high heat with a couple tablespoons of canola oil. Once the oil was hot, I added two tablespoons of unsalted butter. I added the skirt steaks, which had been seasoned with both salt and black pepper as soon as the butter started to brown. (The salt and pepper also end up seasoning the shallots, so be liberal.) The steaks are relatively thin, so it is important to watch your time to prevent them from getting too done. I seared the steaks for about 90 seconds on the first side, and then about another three minutes on the second side. I removed the steaks (only the steaks, leaving all the liquid in the skillet) from the heat and let them rest in a glass baking dish.

Before putting the steaks on the heat, I had prepared two cups of thinly sliced shallots. After removing the steaks to the baking dish, I added the shallots to the same skillet the steaks had cooked in. Once the shallots had softened…more butter (about 1 ½ tablespoons). The shallots were left in the pan over medium heat to caramelize in the pan.

By the time the shallots had caramelized, the steaks were pretty happy sitting in their own juices. They were about to get happier. Half of the caramelized shallot mixture was placed on each steak, and any juices that had collected in the bottom of the pan were spooned over the shallots. I put the dish in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for six minutes for the steaks to finish cooking to about a medium temperature.

To finish, I put the steak, with the shallots on top, on the plate and then drizzled some of the red wine jus on top and around the steak. The recipe also included a watercress salad with a simple dressing of olive oil, chives, shallots, and tarragon. But couldn’t find any watercress, so I used arugula instead and it worked well. The freshness of the salad was a nice contrast to the steak’s earthy flavors.

In his book, Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain lists a few reasons why restaurant food always tastes better than home-cooked food. Two of those reasons are butter and shallots. After tasting this recipe, I couldn’t agree more. Shallots have a much more versatile and subtle flavor than either onion or garlic, while the butter (which I never would have added unless under orders from the recipe to do so) provided a greater richness.

When I was plating the steaks, I thought that red wine jus was a tremendous waste of time, given how long it took to make and how little was actually used in the recipe. When enjoying the meal, however, I noticed it had added a depth of flavor that I had never been able to achieve in steak. The earthiness of the jus melded perfectly with the natural flavors of the steak, both of which were balanced by the sweetness of the caramelized shallots.

I found this to be a tremendously satisfying steak recipe, especially for the winter when I have a hankering for steak but might not want to stand out in the cold next to a grill. Also, without the red wine jus preparation, it’s a pretty quick and economical recipe and I don’t think the recipe would lose that much without it.

I did, however, end up with a lot of jus left over. The cookbook says it should keep in the fridge for a couple days. My plan: incorporate it in hamburger patties (what can I say, I’m a sucker for a good burger). I’m hoping it will add some depth of flavor and moisture to the burger. Stay tuned.