Creamy Mushroom Sauce for Steak

Steakhouses charge extra for the ambiance and the guise of serving a steak that couldn’t possibly be replicated at home. But, I’m here to help you pull it off in the comfort of your own home. Start with our guide to choosing the perfect cut of beef at your local grocery store or butcher, then make a restaurant-quality creamy mushroom sauce for a fraction of the cost — and all of the credit. 

• Mushrooms: Pick up an 8-ounce carton of either white button or cremini mushrooms and slice them thinly.
• Garlic: You’ll need 2 cloves of fresh garlic for flavor.
• Unsalted butter: Adds rich flavor to the sauce and helps the mushrooms brown without sticking.
• Beef broth: Regular (not low-sodium) beef broth was used to test this recipe since it is more widely available. Use 1/2 cup of beef broth and 1/2 cup of water for the perfect level of salt and savory beef flavor. If you use low-sodium or unsalted beef broth, taste and add salt if necessary.
• Heavy cream: Helps to thicken the sauce, gives it a silky consistency, and won’t curdle as other dairy products might when simmered.
• Flavorings: Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, and black pepper add even more flavor to this creamy pan sauce.

• Sauté mushrooms and garlic. The key to developing a gorgeous golden color and intense mushroom flavor is to use a large enough skillet to maximize their contact with the hot pan and to allow steam to evaporate quickly. Once the mushrooms are browned, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
• Add liquids and flavorings. Stir in the liquids and flavorings to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any fond, then bring to a simmer.
• Simmer until reduced and thickened. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. You should have about 3/4 cup mushroom sauce to spoon over the steak. 

This savory mushroom sauce is full of flavor, and creamy enough to marry the seared mushrooms to the steak. But, it should not be heavy like gravy. Many recipes call for adding a flour or cornstarch slurry to thicken sauces, but I’ve found that it muddies the meaty flavors of the steak and mushrooms. The best way to thicken mushroom sauce is evaporation and heavy cream.

• Evaporation: The liquids, including beef broth and water, loosen the flavorful, stuck-on browned bits leftover from sautéing the mushrooms. Let the sauce cook until it thickens and reduces to about 3/4 cup. For a slightly thicker sauce, keep simmering until reduced to 1/2 cup.
• Heavy cream: This ingredient has a thicker consistency than other dairy options and its higher fat content helps to create a rich and creamy consistency. 

Spoon this savory, creamy sauce over your favorite steak — my favorites are a New York strip steak seared in a hot skillet or perfectly cooked steak from the oven.  On the side, serve baked potatoes like the British do with a super-fluffy interior and crispy skin with a thick pat of salted butter (and more of the mushroom sauce spooned over the top) and something green like air-fried green beans or creamed spinach for a more classic steakhouse vibe.

• Steak au Poivre
• Ultimate 5-Minute Steak Sauce
• Steak in Red Wine Sauce
• Peppercorn Sauce
• Pan Sauce from Steak Drippings