Usually, when I think of blueberries, I think of muffins, pie and Blueberry Morning – a cereal I was obsessed with from ages nine through 12. These are all good things, but I urge you to reconsider the blueberry, and smother steaks, chops and wild game with this juicy, surprisingly balanced pan sauce.
Trust me on this. Photo: Claire Lower
Like a certain perfect potato dish, this three-ingredient pan sauce is something I picked up on my recent trip to France. (Did I mention I’m very worldly?) It gets along spectacularly with any animal protein I’ve thrown at it; chicken, duck, pork and steak all benefit from its bright, salty-sweet flavour. It’s fruity without being cloying, and it’s easy to make. To throw it together, you will need:
- A pan in which you have just seared some meat
- 1 cup of blueberries (I have only used fresh, but I imagine frozen would work fine too)
- 1/2 cup of some of your favourite flavorful stock (the more collagen, the better)
- A drizzle or two of honey
Photo: Claire Lower
Once you’ve seared whatever meat you wish to consume, set it on a plate and let it rest. If the pan is really greasy, you can pour some of the fat off, but I never pour any fat off ever.
Reduce the heat to medium, removing it from the burner if it’s smoking to let it chill out for a bit. Toss the blueberries in the pan, pour in the stock, and drizzle a little bit of honey over the berries. Let everything simmer until the skins burst and the sauce is a dark, deep purple.
Taste it, add more honey or some salt if you think it needs it, then strain it through a sieve, mashing the skins to extract as much juicy goodness as possible.
Photo: Claire Lower
If the sauce isn’t as thick as you’d like it, return it to the pan for a bit with a pat of butter. (I have never had to do this.) Drizzle it over your meaty meal, and marvel at its surprising complementary nature.
Comments
One response to “This Blueberry Pan Sauce Is Good On Any Meat”
Do you think this would this work with brown sugar instead of honey? Or maybe just plain sugar