How to Make Port Wine Sauce
Port wine sauce is a rich and flavorful sauce made with port wine as a primary ingredient. It is typically used to accompany meat dishes, particularly red meats like beef, lamb, or venison. The sauce is characterized by its deep, complex flavor profile, which combines the sweetness of the port wine with savory elements like beef or veal stock, shallots or onions, and various herbs and spices.
Port wine sauce is often reduced to intensify its flavor and sweetness before being combined with other ingredients such as stock, butter, and aromatics to make port wine sauce. The sauce is then simmered until it reaches the desired consistency, allowing the flavors to meld together and create a luxurious finishing touch.
Depending on regional and personal preferences, port wine sauce can vary in specific ingredients and preparation methods. It adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to a wide range of dishes, enhancing their flavor and providing a memorable dining experience.
This sauce is made the same way you prepare the Marsala Sauce but substitute Port Wine for Marsala. Like Marsala, the port is a fortified wine, but its home is the Douro Valley of Portugal.
Its rich and sweet flavor can add a wonderful dimension to many foods. Use a ruby port for optimum fruitiness and sweetness. Use a Tawny port for greater complexity.
Best Served With:
- Roasted Lamb
- Grilled meats such as veal or beef medallions
- Chicken breasts
Duck - Foie gras
Ingredients
Port Wine
Port wine, a product of Portugal’s Douro Valley, captivates with its fortified richness and centuries-old craftsmanship. Its grapes, nurtured on steep terraces along the Douro River, yield a wine revered for its depth and complexity. Through a unique fortification process with grape spirit, Port achieves its signature sweetness and potency, ranging from 19% to 22% alcohol.
From the youthful Ruby to the aged Tawny and the prestigious Vintage, each style offers a journey through time and terroir, showcasing a delightful array of flavors including red fruits, nuts, and spices. Port’s allure lies in its rich tradition, diverse offerings, and the promise of a timeless sensory experience, making it a cherished treasure of wine enthusiasts worldwide.
Demi Glace
Demi-glace is a rich and intensely flavorful sauce renowned in classical French cuisine for its luxurious texture and complex taste. It’s made by simmering a mixture of brown stock, typically beef or veal, with mirepoix (a combination of diced onions, carrots, and celery), tomatoes, and aromatics until reduced by half.
The result is a velvety sauce with layers of savory depth and a glossy finish. Demi-glace is often used as a base for other sauces or served on its own to accompany meat dishes, adding a touch of sophistication and enhancing the culinary experience with its exquisite flavor.
Fresh Cream
Cream, the luscious essence of milk, holds a central place in culinary realms, revered for its versatility and ability to transform dishes into indulgent delights. Derived from the fatty layer that naturally separates from milk, the cream comes in various forms, ranging from light to heavy, each offering distinct culinary applications.
Port Wine Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 oz. butter 1/4 stick
- ¼ cup shallots finely chopped
- ¾ cup Port wine
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 cup Demi Glace
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme ¼ tsp. dried
- ¼ cup heavy cream optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the shallots briefly until translucent (approximately 3 minutes).
- Deglaze with the Port and red wines and reduce until most of the wine has cooked off, (approximately 5 – 6 minutes)
- Add the demi glace, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and thyme and simmer for approximately 5-6 minutes (or until the sauce has thickened).
- Strain the sauce, add the heavy cream (if desired), and return to a simmer for a few minutes and serve.
- The optional heavy cream gives the sauce a richer color and additional flavor.
2 Responses
Hi,
Am planning to make this BBQ sauce for my next outing, though I am concerned if receipe will work without the Demi Glace. Two reasons, Demi Glace Not something I would get in Bombay India, and secondly the receipe to make it is quite a difficult one 🙂
HI Tushar, I’m not sure I would call the Pork Wine Sauce a BBQ sauce but that’s ok. You could try making it with reduced beef stock with a little tomato paste added in. It will work, but not as good as with demi glace. Let me know how it works out for you.