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Take your steak to a new level of luxury with a creamy, decadent Bearnaise Sauce for Steak! Just made a perfect steak? Top it with this incredible restaurant-worthy sauce following my easy and foolproof recipe.
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Bearnaise Sauce for Steak
A masterfully cooked steak deserves a masterfully cooked sauce! I've definitely had my days where I've cooked up the best steak yet, only to realize there's no sauce in the house worthy of it- I want the best sauce for steak. What I want is creamy, rich, luxurious Bearnaise.
Luckily, steak bearnaise sauce is so much easier thank you might think. Don't let its reputation scare you! With attention to detail and a bit of time, you'll be cooking up sauce for beef fit to be served in a fancy restaurant. And as one of the best steak sauces I've ever tried, I promise, it's worth making!
So if you've never tried steak with Bearnaise, now's the time! Follow my recipe and you'll be wowing your family with steak Bearnaise in no time. Make a little extra: you'll want more!
What is Bearnaise sauce?
Bearnaise is a derivative of Hollandaise sauce, made with much of the same base. Bearnaise still uses butter and egg yolk for the bulk of the sauce but changes things by swapping lemon juice out for vinegar and adding tarragon and pepper.
Originating in Béarn, France, this sauce was accidentally created by Jean-Louis Françoise-Collinet, a French chef who was attempting to make the mother sauce Hollandaise with a few little changes. It quickly became a classic sauce for steak!
Béarnaise Sauce Ingredients
- White wine vinegar
- Shallot
- Chopped Tarragon leaves
- Black pepper
- Egg yolks
- Unsalted butter
How to Make Bearnaise Sauce
- Place a small frying pan over medium heat, and add in the vinegar, shallot, black pepper, and fresh tarragon and stir. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until well reduced- there should be no more than a few tablespoons of liquid left. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat about an inch of water. While heating, take a metal mixing bowl and combine in it the cooled herb mixture, egg yolks, and a splash of water. Place the mixing bowl on top of the water-filled pan, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. (You can also use a double boiler.)
- While whisking continuously, add in the butter 2-4 tablespoons at a time, and melt butter. Whisk until fully melted before adding more butter.
- Once the sauce is at your desired level of thickness, remove from the heat and pour into a gravy boat. Drizzle over steak, and serve!
Bearnaise Steak Sauce Tips
- Bearnaise sauce isn't too hard, but it does take patience! Always make sure to cook it at as low a temperature as possible. This will keep the yolks from solidifying into scrambled eggs in butter!
- It's extremely important to whisk the entire time the sauce is cooking. Even a minute without whisking can create hot spots on the sides of the pan that will overcook some of the yolk and leave the sauce chunky.
- If it's getting a little too thick, add a splash of water. Just make sure it's not hot water!
- The quality of the eggs makes a huge difference in Hollandaise-based sauces, so if you can get them, try to get eggs from a local source. If not, high quality free-range eggs from the store are worth the price for this recipe!
Bearnaise Sauce Recipe FAQs
Bearnaise sauce is rich and creamy with a vinegar tang, making it perfect for savory dishes. Its delicate tarragon flavor compliments meatier, heavier flavors like beef, marinated chicken breasts, and flavorful vegetables like beans and broccoli.
Bearnaise sauce is delicious paired with all kinds of meat, but for the best combination, pour it on steak! The heavy umami of steak and tender, juicy meat pairs incredibly with tangy bearnaise, making for a luxurious meal you'll want to make again.
Bearnaise sauce is mainly made of butter and egg yolks, giving the base of the sauce a rich and buttery flavor. Vinegar, shallots, tarragon and black pepper build on this to give bearnaise a flavor of zippy vinegar and a mild, gentle touch of licorice that pairs just beautifully with steak!
Best Sauces for Steak
Looking for something a little different? There are so many amazing sauces for steak! Try out any of these steak sauce recipes and you'll be sure to love the results! Serve Bearnaise Sauce with one of my Best Steak Recipes or as a Sauce for Prime Rib. Also try my Beef Gravy Recipe!
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📋 Recipe
Bearnaise Sauce for Steak
Equipment
- Sauce pan
- Metal mixing bowl
- Double boiler optional, replaces mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup White wine vinegar
- 1 Shallot minced
- 1½ Tablespoons Tarragon dried or fresh
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 Egg yolks
- 1½ sticks Unsalted butter
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
- Place a small frying pan over medium low heat, and add in the vinegar, shallot, black pepper, and tarragon. Let simmer 10-15 minutes or until well reduced- there should be no more than a few tablespoons of liquid left. Set aside.½ cup White wine vinegar, 1 Shallot, 1½ Tablespoons Tarragon, 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- In a small saucepan, heat about an inch of water. While heating, take a metal mixing bowl and combine in it the cooled herb reduction, egg yolks, and a splash of water. Place the mixing bowl on top of the water-filled pan, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. (You can also use a double boiler.)2 Egg yolks
- While whisking continuously, add in the butter 2-4 tablespoons at a time. Whisk until fully melted before adding more butter.1½ sticks Unsalted butter
- Once the sauce is at your desired level of thickness, remove from the heat and pour into a gravy boat. Drizzle over steak, and serve!
Notes
- Bearnaise sauce isn't too hard, but it does take patience! Always make sure to cook it at as low a temperature as possible. This will keep the yolks from solidifying into scrambled eggs in butter!
- It's extremely important to whisk the entire time the sauce is cooking. Ever a minute without whisking can create hot spots on the sides of the pan that will overcook some of the yolk and leave the sauce chunky.
- If it's getting a little too thick, add a splash of water. Just make sure it's not hot water!
- The quality of the eggs makes a huge difference in Hollandaise-based sauces, so if you can get them, try to get eggs from a local source. If not, high quality free-range eggs from the store are worth the price for this recipe!
Nutrition
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