The Famous Port Wine Sauce ("Bon Appetit" December 19??)
Boil in heavy large Dutch oven until reduced to 6 cups:
2 x 750 ml bottles of dry red wine (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 x 750 ml tawny port
4 c beef broth
Meanwhile stem, slice thickly and set aside:
2 lbs mixed fresh wild mushrooms (e.g., shiitake or crimini)
Melt:
4 T butter
in heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add:
1 ˝ lb onions, chopped
Saute until tender, about 15 minutes. Add:
2 T chopped fresh thyme
Saute until onions are deep brown, about another 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Melt:
2 T butter
in same skillet and add mushrooms. Sauté until tender, about 15 minutes). Return
onions to skillet and add:
2 T all-purpose flour
and stir three minutes. Stir mushroom mixture into wine mixture. Simmer over medium
heat until thickened and reduced to 6 cups, about 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. At this point it can be refrigerated for the next day. Laura suggestion: pass
sauce through cuisinart to reduce mushrooms to paste.
Meat to go with sauce
Preheat oven to 400. Rub:
2 x 2-lb well-trimmed beef tenderloins (from center or thick end)
with:
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper
Place in roasting pan and roast until thermometer reads 125 degrees fahreneit.
Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Add meat juices to gravy (reheat
if necessary). Slice tenderloins crosswise in ˝" thick slices. Overlap slices
and spoon some sauce on top. Pass rest of gravy when serving.
This page is copyright 2006, Laura Giletti
Last revised: May 2006