I used to think you needed a ton of butter for a good pan sauce

For years at my first job in a steakhouse, I'd finish every steak with a huge chunk of cold butter swirled in, like a half stick per pan. It made a rich sauce, sure, but it was heavy and broke easily if the pan got too hot. About two years ago, a cook from a French place showed me to use a splash of the veal stock we had reducing and just a tablespoon of butter at the end. The sauce is lighter, clings better, and you can actually taste the meat. What's one old habit you had to unlearn in your kitchen?

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3 Comments

bethj447mo ago

Oh wow, that's a huge shift. So do you find yourself using way less butter in everything now, or was it just a pan sauce thing?

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riverm486mo ago

Wait you used to put milk in scrambled eggs?

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elizabeth2207mo ago

@bethj44 made me remember how I used to drown my scrambled eggs in milk. They were always watery! Now I just whisk them straight in the pan with a pinch of salt, total game changer.

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