The red wine sauce started as usual —  slice shallots into those cute little rings (don’t you love the way they fall apart into just the right size?); caramelize them in butter; add good (it doesn’t need to be great, just good) red wine, some beef stock (home-made preferred), a sprig of rosemary and a bit of sugar.   Just when you thought you were on your way to a standard wine reduction for your holiday beef tenderloin, you decide to go a little bit crazy. Dump in whole cranberries — the ones you have leftover from the cranberry cake or muffins.  Watch them pop and simmer, simmer and simmer some more — until there isn’t a soul in the house who hasn’t commented on the great aroma – a mix of cooked shallots and the fruity wine/cranberries.   When you get a good syrupy texture,  remove the sprig and you’re almost good to go.  The last step, of course, is to capture the fond from your meat and add to your sauce.

Now plate your sauce with your choice of meat.  I like this sauce with beef tenderloin or hangar steak, although it also works nicely with pork.   For a festive look, angle your meat slices on a small mountain of whipped potatoes garnished with a rosemary “tree”.

Fresh Cranberries

RED WINE SAUCE WITH CRANBERRIES

Recipe By: A Global Garnish, LLC

3 tablespoons butter

1 large shallot, sliced into rings

2 cups red wine

1 cup stock, beef

1 cup whole. fresh cranberries

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2 t sugar

Cook shallots in butter until they begin to carmelize.  Add about 1/2 bottle of red wine, stock, rosemary and sugar (you may want to add mores sugar to taste at the end of cooking).  Reduce by about 1/2.  Add cranberries.  Cook until cranberries pop and the sauce is slightly thickened.  Remove rosemary.