Entrecôte Bordelaise – Steak with Bordelaise sauce is a classic, and easy to serve over the holidays.

To pair with the 2016 Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon, we recommend doing this recipe with a filet mignon. With the 2019 Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon, a rib eye is the perfect choice.

When pairing with 2019, we recommend decanting the bottle for at least an hour prior to serving.

Bordelaise Sauce, prep time 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

¾ cup dry red wine

2 shallots, chopped fine

1 sprig fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried

1 bay leaf

2 cups rich beef of veal stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small saucepan, place the red wine, shallots, thyme, and bay leaf and set over medium heat.
• Bring the mixture to a simmering boil and continue to cook to reduce the contents to half of the original volume.
• Add the beef stock to the pan and bring the mixture up to a simmer again.
• Using a tablespoon, skim and discard any foam that appears on top of the sauce.
• Continue cooking the Bordelaise by another 50% or until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon—otherwise known as having a nappe. In total, the Bordelaise should have reduced by 75% of its original volume by now.
• Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Rib Eye or Filet Mignon

Ingredients:

Rib eye can be boneless or bone-in, and have your butcher cut it 2-2 ½ inches thick. (The bone-in rib eye will need 1-2 more minutes of cooking time.) Filet should be cut 3+ inches in thickness. A typical portion is 8 ounces of protein per person, so base your purchase on this amount.

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Pull steaks out of refrigeration at least half an hour prior to cooking.
• 15 minutes prior to cooking the steaks, brush them with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Preheat cast iron pan on stove top or flat top griddle to medium heat.
• Place steaks on the pre-heated cooking instrument and cook to the desired doneness. (Medium rare is 130-135 degrees, which is approximately 4-5 minutes per side.) If using a meat thermometer, pull steaks at 130 degrees and residual cooking will take steaks up approximately 5 degrees.
• Plate steaks and serve with your favorite sides. If you are hosting a dinner party, slice the steaks on the bias to show off your acumen in cooking to desired doneness.

For sides, I recommend going with the classic potato side Pommes Anna and seasonal vegetables, like Romanesco. Of course, creamed spinach is always a good option too.

Enjoy!

Peter Lilly, Taplin Cellars Estate Host