The Bright Flavor Pairs Perfectly with a Rich Steak.
It’s been quite awhile since my son purchased dried hibiscus petals * for use in an ice cream recipe he was working on. We’d been so impressed with their flavor, not to mention the brilliant color, but it was one of those deals where I’d think about them from time to time and then they’d completely leave my mind. So many ingredients, so little time.
Well, they came to the forefront of my mind the other day and I started thinking about using them in a savory context. Their flavor is so bright and sweet, but has a distinct earthiness I thought could work in sauce for a grilled steak. So, I began the night before by bringing a simple syrup of equal parts water and sugar to a simmer and then steeping the hibiscus petals in it overnight.
We were grilling ribeyes, which I decided to rub with black garlic salt and pepper. So, I took it from there. After sautéing minced shallots in butter, I added some of the hibiscus syrup, beef stock, both red wine vinegar and Banyuls vinegar *, a little chipotle morita chile *, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. I let this cook down quite a bit – almost 3/4.
It was now nice and syrupy, but the mouthfeel needed some help. Butter to the rescue. I whisked in a couple tablespoons of cold salted butter, only long enough for it to emulsify into the sauce and then added a teaspoon of lemon juice. After adding a little additional salt and pepper it was good to go.
Well, the folks around here declared it superb. It’s tart, sweet, a little spicy, earthy, and deeply flavored. It complimented the rich ribeye perfectly. As you can see, I also served roasted crispy potatoes. I used Kenji Lopez-Alt’s basic recipe which you can get here . I’ve been making these potatoes for years and I change out the seasonings, depending on what I’m serving. In this case I kept them simple and only used duck fat, salt, pepper, and parsley. They pair so well with steak.
You will have some leftover syrup in this recipe and you can easily do what I did. I put some ice in a glass, added a couple tablespoons of the syrup and added soda water. So delicious and refreshing. You could also add a little cream and have a lovely French soda.
I used up all the hibiscus petals for this recipe and I just purchased another bag because this sauce was such a hit I know I’ll be making it again and again. I’m also thinking about a few other ways to use them, besides the obvious, which is making tea. We’re also trying to remember exactly how my son made that ice cream recipe. We recall it was great, but didn’t write it down. Oh, well, back to the drawing board.
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that, at no additional cost to you, may pay me a small commission and help support the costs of this website. Read full privacy policy here.
Hibiscus Steak Sauce Over Grilled Ribeye
4
servingsSteak sauce made with hibiscus syrup, beef stock, shallots, Banyuls vinegar, red wine vinegar, chipotle morita chile, fresh thyme, butter, and lemon juice. It's perfect when spooned over a grilled ribeye.
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Ingredients
- Hibiscus Syrup
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup dried hibiscus petals *
- Hibiscus Steak Sauce
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup minced shallots
3/4 cup hibiscus syrup
3/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Banyuls vinegar *
1 teaspoon Chipotle Morita Chile * powder, made by grinding the flakes in a spice grinder
1 small sprig fresh thyme
2 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into half inch cubes
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher Salt
Black pepper
Directions
- Hibiscus Syrup
- Stir together the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Over medium heat bring the syrup to a simmer. Add the hibiscus petals, remove from the heat, cover the pan and let steep for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Hibiscus Steak Sauce
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook until the shallots are softened and just beginning to turn golden - about 5 minutes. Add the hibiscus syrup, beef stock, red wine vinegar, Banyuls vinegar, chile powder, thyme, a large pinch of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook until the liquid has reduced about 3/4 - until the sauce is syrupy, reducing the heat as it gets thick in order to prevent burning. Remove the thyme. Over low heat, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, a couple of cubes at a time. You don’t want the butter to simply melt into the sauce, you want it to emulsify. By whisking it over a gentle heat, this is easily accomplished. Whisk in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Spoon over slices of grilled ribeye. Serve and Enjoy!