At Angèle in Napa Valley, chef Christophe Gerard's steak bordelaise comes with such an unbelievably rich and delicious red-wine-and-shallot sauce that you will never miss the slices of poached beef marrow which are the traditional garnish. The sauce keeps well and is just as good served with lamb, venison or poached eggs. Amazing Steak Recipes
How to Make It
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the grapeseed oil with the unpeeled shallots and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the shallots are very tender, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the red wine, vinegar and chopped shallot and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 1 hour. Add the veal stock and simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve set over a small saucepan. Whisk in the butter over low heat and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil until almost smoking. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet. Cook over high heat until richly browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the steaks for about 2 minutes for medium rare. While the steaks cook, reheat the shallots in their oil until hot, then drain and, using a serrated knife, cut the shallots in half. Transfer the steaks to plates. Spoon 1/4 cup of the sauce over each steak and place the shallots alongside the steaks. Sprinkle with the parsley and fleur de sel and serve.