Take Your Homemade Steak Sauce To The Next Level With A Splash Of Bourbon

No matter what cut of steak you throw on the grill or skillet, a homemade steak sauce is the pairing you don't want to leave out of the equation. And a splash of bourbon is a surefire way to add flavor to homemade steak sauce. Spirits and wine are popular drink pairings for a nice steak dinner, so their transformation into a seasoning agent for steak sauces is the logical next step.

Just as wine is a key ingredient in demi-glace, bourbon can also be reduced to a sweet and smoky upgrade to any steak sauce you have in mind. Bourbon may be a variety of whiskey, but it differs from other types of whiskey because of a strict set of guidelines on aging and grain content. With a makeup of at least 51% corn and a minimum aging time of two years in charred oak barrels, bourbon is notably sweeter and smoother than rye or wheat-heavy whiskeys. And reducing bourbon over a hot stove will remove an alcoholic bite and concentrate its sweet smokiness. Plus, bourbon's tasting notes include many spicy, earthy, and aromatic ingredients that will complement the umami-richness of a steak.

The best type of bourbon for a steak sauce is an affordable bottle with a higher ratio of corn to wheat or rye and distinct caramel, vanilla, and smoke notes. We have a long list of Bourbon brands to find the perfect steak sauce pairing.

Cooking with alcohol of any kind usually requires that you cook it to remove the alcoholic taste. So, you can either simmer bourbon with other liquid ingredients for a concentrated reduction or add it to a hot pan as a deglazing liquid as you build a steak sauce. We have a simple 4-ingredient sauce to elevate any steak that consists of brandy, a store-bought demi-glace like this demi-glace concentrate from Minor's, garlic, and shallots. You can swap brandy for bourbon for a smoky upgrade.

You can make a sweet bourbon sauce by sauteing aromatics and herbs in butter, deglazing the hot pan, then adding brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to reduce for a few minutes. If you're pan-frying a steak, you can make a bourbon cream sauce using the beef drippings left in the pan. A splash of bourbon will deglaze the pan and infuse the subsequent pour of cream with umami-rich fat and juices.

Yet another way to use bourbon in a steak recipe is as a marinade and basting liquid like we do in this recipe for maple bourbon steak tips. The steak is infused with a maple and bourbon marinade which is then repurposed into a basting liquid, creating a flavorful glazed steak dish.