Pan-Seared Steak with Red Wine Shallot Reduction

Remove steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to reach room temperature. Pat them extremely dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, wide stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and wait until it is shimmering and just starting to smoke.

Place steaks in the pan, ensuring they are not crowded. Sear for 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove steaks from the pan and transfer to a plate; tent loosely with foil to rest.

In the same wide pan, reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced shallots and sauté for 2 minutes until translucent, using the moisture from the shallots to start loosening the browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan.

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon.

Increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer. Allow the wine to reduce by half. The wide surface area of the skillet will speed up this process as discussed in the blog post.

Pour in the beef stock and add the thyme sprigs. Simmer gently, avoiding a violent boil, until the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds and reached 'nappe' consistency—it should thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the thyme sprigs. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time. This creates a glossy, emulsified finish.

Taste the sauce now and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper only at this final stage to avoid over-salting during the reduction process.

Spoon the concentrated reduction over the rested steaks and serve immediately.