Description
A sweet-tart blackberry balsamic steak sauce that elevates weeknight steak to restaurant quality using fresh or frozen berries.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 0.5 cup finely diced red onion or shallot
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
- 3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- 0.5 cup balsamic vinegar
- 0.25 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or beef broth)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- fine sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely diced red onion and sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Simmer the Sauce Base: Add the blackberries, balsamic vinegar, vegetable broth, tomato paste, maple syrup, black pepper, smoked paprika, and bay leaf to the saucepan. Stir gently and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the blackberries have fully broken down and the liquid has reduced by about one-third.
- Blend and Strain (Optional): Carefully remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the warm sauce mixture to a heat-safe blender or use an immersion blender. Blend until very smooth. For a silky smooth sauce, push the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any remaining blackberry seeds or pulp.
- Thicken and Season: Return the sauce to the saucepan and cook over low heat for another 5–10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it reaches your desired glossy, pourable consistency. Season with salt to taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as needed with additional maple syrup or vinegar.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the steak sauce to cool slightly before serving; a warm sauce is ideal. Drizzle generously over pan-seared or grilled steak and garnish with fresh thyme just before serving.
Notes
Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If the sauce is too thick during blending, add a tablespoon of water or broth. For a completely silky texture, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve after blending.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 0.25 cup
- Calories: 160 calories
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 3.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: steak sauce, blackberry, balsamic, gourmet, easy, healthy, grill, dinner, stovetop