Steak “Sauce Entrecôte” (Warm Herb-Butter Emulsion with Anchovy) — Bistro-Style Ribeye at Home
A perfect steak with restaurant-style sauce doesn’t need a long ingredient list — it needs heat control and smart seasoning. This Sauce Entrecôte is a warm, herby butter emulsion (think hollandaise meets Café de Paris) built on a shallot–caper–anchovy base and blended until silky, then finished with fresh parsley, tarragon, sage, and basil. We’ll pan-sear juicy ribeye (entrecôte) with frequent flips for even doneness, flambé with a splash of cognac (optional), and spoon the sauce on top. On the side, make crisp garlic–parsley potatoes or classic Parisian potatoes.
Ingrédients
Steaks
- 750 –900 g 1.6–2.0 lb ribeye/entrecôte, 3 steaks, room temp
- 10 g 2 tsp kosher salt, to taste
- 2 g ½ tsp black pepper
- 15 –30 ml 1–2 tbsp neutral oil
- 30 g 2 tbsp butter (basting)
- 30 ml 2 tbsp cognac (optional, for flambé)
Shallot–Caper–Anchovy Base
- 80 –100 g ¾–1 cup shallots, very finely minced
- 5 g 1 anchovy fillet in oil, minced to a paste
- 15 g 1 tbsp capers, chopped
- 15 –20 ml 1–1½ tbsp white wine vinegar
- 20 –30 g 1½–2 tbsp butter
Warm Herb-Butter Emulsion (“Sauce Entrecôte”)
- 125 g 9 tbsp butter, melted and warm (≈70–75°C / 160–170°F) — not boiling
- 3 egg yolks
- 15 ml 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 15 –20 ml 1–1½ tbsp lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
- 1 g ¼ tsp black pepper
- 10 g ½ cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
- 8 –10 basil leaves chopped
- 6 –8 sage leaves chopped
- 5 g tarragon leaves chopped
- salt to taste — adjust at the end
Optional Side — Garlic–Parsley Potatoes
- 1,000 –1 200 g (2.2–2.6 lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 L 2 qt water + 40 g (2 tbsp) salt (20 g/L)
- 30 –40 g 2–3 tbsp butter
- 8 –10 g 2–3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 10 g ½ cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
Instructions
Shallot–Caper–Anchovy Base (the flavour foundation)
- Melt 20–30 g butter in a small saucepan over medium-low.
- Add shallots and anchovy; sweat gently until the anchovy melts and shallots are translucent (no browning).
- Stir in vinegar and capers; simmer 30–60 seconds to form a soft compote.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly (warm, not hot).
Blended Warm Herb-Butter Emulsion
- Use a countertop blender or an immersion blender in a tall beaker.
- Combine the warm shallot–caper–anchovy base, egg yolks, Dijon, and lemon juice in the blender jar.
- Blend on low–medium. With the motor running, slowly stream in the warm melted butter to emulsify (like a hollandaise).
- Blend just until silky and spoonable. Pulse in the chopped herbs.
- Season with pepper and salt if needed.
- Hold warm over a barely-simmering bain-marie (60–65°C / 140–149°F) — never boil.
Garlic–Parsley Potatoes (optional but highly recommended)
- Boil 2 L water + 40 g salt. Add potatoes; cook until just tender (18–22 min).
- Drain; steam-dry a few minutes.
- In a large skillet, melt butter; add garlic for 10–15 seconds. Add potatoes; pan-roast until golden on all sides. Toss with parsley and keep warm.
Sear the Steaks (frequent flips)
- Pat steaks dry; season with salt & pepper.
- Heat a heavy skillet on high until hot. Add oil; when shimmering, lay in the steaks.
- Flip every 25–30 seconds for even crust and doneness (about 2–3 minutes per side for medium-rare on 1-inch steaks). Add butter near the end to baste.
- Optional flambé: Pull the pan off heat, add cognac, return and ignite briefly.
- Rest steaks 3–5 minutes before slicing or serving whole.
Plate
- Spoon a generous ribbon of warm herb-butter sauce over each steak.
- Add a mound of garlic–parsley or Parisian potatoes.
- Finish with a pinch of flaky salt.
Vidéo
Notes
Substitutions & Variations
- Cuts: New York strip, sirloin, flat iron, or hanger — adjust sear time.
- Butter type: Unsalted gives control; salted means you may skip extra salt in the sauce.
- Acid: Lemon is brighter; white wine vinegar is sharper — a mix is excellent.
- Stability booster: For insurance, whisk/blend in pea-sized bits of beurre manié to gently thicken a broken sauce (see FR: beurre manié).
- No alcohol: Skip cognac; the sauce is aromatic without it.
- Duo-sauce: Swirl in a spoon of creamy mushroom sauce into part of the emulsion for a bistro combo.
FAQs
Can I make the sauce ahead?Make the shallot–caper–anchovy base in advance. Blend the emulsion right before serving. If it sits and thickens, blend/whisk in 1 tsp warm water to loosen. My sauce split — how do I fix it?
Blend 1 tsp warm water, then slowly blend in the split sauce to re-emulsify. If needed, start with a fresh yolk and stream the split sauce into it. Internal temperatures for steak?
Rare 50°C/122°F, medium-rare 55°C/131°F, medium 60°C/140°F. Remember carryover rise during rest. For a Roquefort option with temps, see: Roquefort sauce + steak temperatures. Best side dishes?
Authentic Belgian fries, Parisian potatoes, traditional gratin dauphinois, or a crisp Caesar salad without mayonnaise: recipe. Dessert ideas after a rich steak dinner?
No-churn dark chocolate ice cream, crème brûlée (FR: recette), or tiramisu.