Citrus Red Wine Sauce Recipe for Steak, Chicken, Duck, Pork, Lamb & Salmon

This citrus red wine sauce recipe belongs in every home cook's repertoire. Not only is it quick - it takes about 20 minutes to prepare - but it's simple and easy, requiring five (or even four) ingredients and minimal work. Yet the most appealing aspect of this red wine reduction sauce recipe is its versatility.

You can use this citrus red wine sauce recipe for any cut of steak, from filet mignon to strip steak to flank steak to beef tenderloin. It's also a perfect complement for pork chops, pork tenderloins, lamb chops, lamb tenderloins, and chicken or duck breast. And, though I generally consider red wine sauce too overpowering for salmon and other sturdy fish, this particular recipe can pass as an exception.

Ingredients:

(makes about 4-6 servings, depending on what you're using it for)

1 cup dry red wine
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp unsalted butter
sprinkle of orange zest
pinch of sea salt

Yes, that's all it takes for a one-sauce-fits-all finisher for steak, pork, lamb, chicken, duck, and salmon.

Most red wine sauce recipes call for a dry red wine. While it usually provides the best results, it's more important in this recipe than many others. Typical red wine reduction sauces are made with potent (and often salty) ingredients like soy sauce, chicken or vegetable stocks, meat juices, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, shallots, mushrooms, and heavy seasoning. Thus, they can handle a little sweetness. However, the citrus element of this recipe adds significant sweetness to the sauce, and you easily risk it becoming undesirably sweet if you don't use a dry wine.

Either a Cabernet Sauvignon or a red Zinfandel is the best option, especially for steak. However, a Pinot Noir or Bordeaux also makes an excellent base for this red wine sauce recipe.

Bring the wine to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and let the wine reduce by half. Once it's there, stir in the orange juice and zest, and add the sea salt. Finally, add the butter, stirring continuously. By the time the butter is fully melted and incorporated, your citrus red wine sauce is finished. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can let it simmer a few minutes longer.

There are two unique and tasty alternatives to the orange juice and rind, if you'd like to try something a little different with this red wine sauce recipe. The first is to substitute a tablespoon of orange marmalade. Be sure to stir it in thoroughly.

Another option is to steep an orange spice-flavored teabag in the sauce for the last four or five minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to steep it any longer, as it will begin to release a significant amount of tannic acid. Remember that reducing red wine intensifies its tannic properties. Three of the four wines I recommended for this recipe are high in tannic acid (Cabernet Sauvignon most of all). Pinot Noirs, however, generally have low tannin levels, so are the best choice if you're trying this variation of the recipe. Just be forewarned that over-steeping the teabag will likely make the sauce unpleasantly astringent.

There you have it. It's a delicious and simple red wine sauce recipe you can use for steak, pork, lamb, chicken, duck, and even salmon or other sturdy fish. Keep it mind for when you're stuck in a rut, making the same few meat and poultry dishes in constant rotation.

This citrus red wine sauce recipe is also a great option for when you're entertaining. It's a variation on common red wine reduction sauces that your guests are unlikely to have had before. It also excludes high sodium and ingredients commonly used in red wine sauces (like onion and garlic) that can present dietary problems for your guests. Best of all, this recipe offers an impressive depth-of-flavor for something so basic.