One thing subscribing to Fresh 20 and Hello Fresh taught me was the power of a good sauce to elevate a dish from good to heavenly. Just last night I ordered a dish at a local restaurant that went from, “really good,” on its own, to, “Oh my gosh, I’m going to have lovely dreams about this food,” because of the balsamic reduction drizzled over it. It made me, a grown woman with good table manners, want to lick my plate right there in public. (My mouth is watering just writing about it.)
Today I’ll share three excellent sauces, along with some ideas for where to use them. After tasting them, you can get ideas for adding a new dimension or bringing new life to dishes already in your repertoire using theses sauces. (Hint: All these make delicious sandwich spreads. Goodbye, boring mayo. Hello, awesome sauce!)
PEPPERCORN SAUCE
4 servings
Drizzle of olive oil 2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 t peppercorns 2-3 t beef stock concentrate (I like Better Than Bouillon)
1 C water 4 T sour cream (more if you’d like)
Place peppercorns in a small plastic bag and pound with a heavy pan, rolling pin, or whatever you have that will do the job. You want them crushed, not ground to powder. We’d use regular pepper if that’s what we were going for. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. If you have cooked your meat in a pan on the stove top, use that pan with all the drippings and bits left in it. Add shallot and crushed peppercorns. Cook until shallots are soft, 2-3 minutes. Add stock concentrate and water. (You can play with the amount of stock concentrate you use to see if you like a stronger or weaker flavor.) Scrape up any browned bits from the pan if you cooked your meat in it. Bring to a simmer and let bubble until reduced by half, 2-3 minutes or more. Remove pan from heat, then stir in sour cream.
This sauce has a heavier flavor, so it’s best with a heartier meat. I love it over grilled beef that's been brushed with olive oil, and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. If it has some roasted sweet or Yukon Gold potatoes on the plate to sneak over and play with, all the better. Honestly, I’m not a really big fan of pepper, and I love this sauce.
SUPER SIMPLE ASIAN GOODNESS SAUCE
4 servings
4T soy sauce 2T hoisin sauce
4t honey
Okay, are you ready for the complex instructions for this one? Whisk the three ingredients together. That’s it!
The versatility of this sauce is a beautiful thing. Obviously, it works well with any stir fry dish but last time I made it my son and I both agreed it was delicious enough to want to make a whole meal of it over rice. (You know, if you want a meal that’s only carbs. Haha) Seriously, though, this one goes well over virtually any kind of meat, and many vegetables, or grains.
Do you ever have a little leftover rice and a serving or two of vegetables kicking around your refrigerator that you end up storing long enough not to feel guilty when you toss them out? Next time, pull out that rice and those veggies. Throw in a bit of meat (your leftovers from that restaurant the other night, that last piece of chicken no one ate, even deli meat could work if that’s all you have lying around). Whip up a little of this sauce, and voila! A lunch that’ll make your heart sing.
BALSAMIC REDUCTION (Did you hear the angels sing when you read that? I did.)
4 servings
Drizzle of olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped
Splash of water 3T butter
4T balsamic glaze (or 8T or so of balsamic vinegar, if you don’t have glaze)
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. If you have cooked your meat in a pan, use that one. Saute chopped shallot for 1-2 minutes until it’s softened. Add a splash of water and scrape up any meat bits. If using balsamic glaze, once water has evaporated, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the glaze, butter, juice from meat that’s been resting (if you’ve cooked meat to go with this), and salt and pepper to taste. Once the butter is melted, get ready for some blissful moments in your mouth.
If you’re using balsamic vinegar instead of glaze, the instructions are only slightly different. After cooking the shallots, scraping up the bits, and letting the water evaporate, leave the pan on the heat and add the vinegar. Let it cook down for a bit until it’s thickened to a consistency that’s appealing to you. From there, remove the pan from the heat and follow the rest of the directions above, especially the “blissful moments” part.
One of the best things about this sauce is its versatility. It’s good with beef, chicken, turkey, pork, and probably game meats like bison, elk, and the like. It’s also friendly with a variety of veggies, and some fruits. Be creative. Use your imagination. If it works, you’re a hero; if it’s awful, you get a funny story to tell for years to come.
Now, go be saucy!