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Steak / sauce archiduc

2021-08-10

In the classic French cuisine, sauce archiduc is a compound sauce made from a sauce suprême, finished with a champagne reduction. Suprême sauce is a finished sauce made by enriching a chicken velouté sauce with heavy cream.

Now, why would I serve a chicken velouté over steak? That doesn't make sense to me. So forget about the above. This sauce illustrates once again  that modern kitcheneering has evolved past the French system. The contemporary archduke is clearly not what he used to be 100 years ago.

Steak archiduc is a steak served with a mushroom cream sauce based on the steak drippings, reduced with cognac, port or another strong alcohol. To get the brown color, make sure there are plenty of steak drippings. Using butter and a larger, thinner steak definitely helps.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2-4 servings:

• 1/4" bone-in chuck steak 1 1/2 lbs.
• 8-16 oz. button mushrooms
• up to 2 cups heavy cream
• S&P
• 1 shot strong liquor of your choice (cognac, whiskey, ...)
• 1-2 cups red wine

Pic1: steak / sauce archiduc, mixed vegetables

Directions

the steak

I used thin-cut bone-in chuck steak because our local grocery store Peppers sells very high-quality chuck that is quite tender for pan-frying at less than half the price of T-bone or ribeye steak.

2021-08-10

Pic2: mushrooms, heavy cream, steak
Pic3: butter, black pepper
Pic4: sear

• Gather the ingredients.
• Melt 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter over high heat with (optional) 1 tbsp. black pepper.
• Sear the steak for 1-2 minutes on one side.

 

Pic5: sear
Pic6: simmer
Pic7: set aside

• Sear the other side for 1-2 minutes.
  That should be enough for medium-rare.
• For well-done, cover and reduce heat. Simmer 5 more minutes to cook it throughout.
• Remove the steak, set aside and cover to keep warm.

the sauce

2021-08-10

Pic8: mushrooms
Pic9: cooked
Pic10: deglaze and reduce again

• Slice the mushrooms very thin. (1-2 mm)
• Add to the beef drippings. If necessary add some more butter, 1-2 tbsp.
• Add 1 cup of beef stock (or water + beef bouillon)
  If there is any liquid leaking from the steaks, use that first.
• Stir-fry over high heat until the mushrooms are dark brown and nearly dry.
• Add the alcohol. (I used 'El Mescalito')
• Optional: When the alcohol is boiling, light it for a brief flame: flambé.
• I also added about 1 cup sangria wine, because I had that much leftover in the bottle.
• Reduce again until nearly dry. (Pic10)

 

Pic11: add cream
Pic12: reduce
Pic13: ready

• Remove from the heat and add 1-2 cups of heavy cream.
• Reduce heat. Mix.
• Slowly reduce until the desired thickness has been reached. (Pic13)
  I did not use flour for thickening!

served

I served this meal with steamed mixed vegetables.

2021-08-10

Pic14-16: meal #1: smaller, well-done

• Serve and enjoy.

 

Pic17-19: meal #2: larger, medium(-rare)

• Serve and enjoy.
• This was a prime example of dark-searing a thin-cut steak without over-cooking it on the inside.

 

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