Silky Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Silky Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

I made this sauce to complement my Christmas “roast beast.” It was a beef top round roast with garlic and herb crust! Once the roast came out to sit, I didn’t want to spend any time carefully constructing a gravy. I just wanted to reheat some sides and make sure the table was perfectly set. 

I simply removed the roast from the Dutch oven and reheated the sauce in the drippings to add more dimension, but the sauce really is perfectly delicious all on its own if you don’t want to include drippings! Simply reheat for 5 minutes in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, and serve either in a bowl on the side with a ladle, or pour it all over your roast!

Just like my white wine mushroom sauce, this recipe includes big, luscious mushrooms! We slice baby bellas in half (not in quarters), and brown them to perfection. 

The Simple Process

1. First, we slice the shallots and mushrooms, mince garlic and remove leaves from thyme.
2. Next, we’ll brown the mushrooms in butter and sauté the aromatics and shallots.
3. Then, we’ll add wine and broth, and allow it to reduce for about 10 minutes.
4. Finally, we’ll thicken the sauce with a little bit of flour to give it a silky texture.

Ingredient Notes

mushrooms – I used baby Bella mushrooms because I love how big and plump they are, but you can also use white mushrooms and button mushrooms as well, but you won’t cut button mushrooms in half. Keep them nice and big.

beef broth – You can also substitute with vegetable broth, but the sauce won’t taste as rich.

shallots – If you can’t find shallots, you can substitute with a small red onion.

wine – Use a dry wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Shiraz, or Pinot Noir.

worcestershire sauce – This adds a richer flavor.

flour – You can also use corn starch as a substitute, just be extra sure to eliminate any lumps in the slurry before adding to the sauce.

How to Make This Sauce – Step by Step

The sauce actually tastes better if made a whole 24 hours before serving, but it will still be very tasty if made day of.

1. Thinly slice 2 shallots, slice 16 oz. baby bella mushrooms in half, mince 4 cloves of garlic and remove 1 tsp. fresh thyme from stems.

2. Add 2 oz. butter to a large sauté pan and brown mushrooms for 5-7 minutes on MEDIUM-HIGH heat, without moving them so they get a nice, deep brown side. Flip them, and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Remove mushrooms into a bowl.

3. Add another 2 oz. butter (yes, another half-stick) to the pan with sliced shallots, minced garlic and thyme. Sauté everything together for another 3-4 minutes.

4. Add 2 cups red wine, 1 cup beef broth and ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce.

5. Reduce wine and broth on HIGH for 10 minutes.

6. Combine 2 tbsp. flour with ¼ cup beef broth in a small bowl or measuring cup. Mix thoroughly, ensuring there are no lumps. Slowly add slurry to sauce while stirring to thicken. 

7. You’ll know the sauce is a perfect thickness when pulling a spatula across it leaves a cavern in the pan that slowly fills in.

8. Combine 2 tbsp. flour with ¼ cup beef broth in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly, ensuring there are no lumps. Slowly add slurry to sauce while stirring to thicken. If you intend to mix sauce into roast drippings before serving (highly recommended!) don’t add salt. But if you want to reheat the sauce without mixing into drippings, add salt and pepper to taste. Add back mushrooms, stir and serve.

A Few Notes

1. This sauce is already perfectly delicious, but feel free to combine this sauce with roast drippings to add even more flavor! If making a beef roast, for example, remove the roast from your pan to sit, separate fat from drippings, and discard fat.

Add sauce to the pan with the drippings that are left, scraping up any tastiness on the bottom, and heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. To see exactly how, see my recipe for Top Round Roast Beef.

2. The sauce will actually be tastier if made a full day ahead. The mushrooms absorb the flavors of the sauces and it takes on a more full dimension.