(Bifteck Marchand de Vin)

SERVES 2 – 4

The "wine merchant" sauce in this recipe is based on one in Auguste Escoffier's Le Guide culinaire, originally published in Paris in 1903. Refrigerate any leftover sauce, to be used as a compound butter.

1 cup red wine
2 shallots, peeled and minced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
12 tbsp. butter, softened
1 2-lb. (about 1 1/2"-thick) aged sirloin or rib-eye steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1–2 tbsp. glace de viande (meat glaze) for a mail-order source
1 1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Leaves from 6 sprigs parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Boil wine and shallots together in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until liquid is syrupy and reduced by about two-thirds, 12–15 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

2. Heat oil and 2 tbsp. of the butter together in a large heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Generously season both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Brown steak well on both sides, 3–4 minutes per side, then transfer skillet to oven to let steak finish cooking, 5–6 minutes for medium rare. Transfer steak to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Return pan with wine and shallots to medium-low heat. Add meat glaze and heat, stirring often, until sauce is hot. Remove pan from heat and add remaining butter, 1 tbsp. at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Slice steak and transfer to a warm platter. Spoon some of the sauce over steak. Serve steak with the remaining sauce on the side.