Skip to main content

What is Steak Sauce? How and When to Use It

Bone-in, cowboy cut ribeye in a cast iron with fries.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While a good steak is delicious by itself, sometimes a tasty sauce can take it to the next level. A classic steak condiment is a bottle of tangy, salty, and slightly sweet brown steak sauce. For most Americans, the first example that comes to mind is the iconic A1 Steak Sauce. There’s a time and a place for a steak sauce, especially if the sauce is balanced and made from quality ingredients. There is nothing like a homemade steak sauce or any homemade sauce for that matter.

What is Steak Sauce?

The steak sauce familiar to most Americans actually originated in England. Called a British brown sauce, it first appeared in the early 1800s and contained a combination of molasses, apples, tomatoes, dates, tamarind, vinegar, raisins, and various spices. The inclusion of these spices and fruits was purposeful in the 1800s — to mask the smell and taste of old beef. In Britain, people eat brown steak sauce not only for meat but also for breakfast and chips (fries). The most popular brands are HP, Daddie’s, Heinz Ideal, and Fletcher’s Tiger Sauce.

Recommended Videos

The famous A1 Steak Sauce is also British, created by Henderson William Brand, the personal chef for King George the IV from 1824 to 1831. Although British in origin, the sauce has not been available in the British market since the 1970s.

One of a Kind Benjamin’s Classic Steak Sauce

Raw ribeye with Benjamins Steak Sauce on a plate.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although A1 has been steadily losing popularity over the years, not all steak sauces are created equal. For example, at Benjamin’s Steakhouse, they’ve created a custom steak sauce that’s carefully crafted to complement their steaks. Founded in 2006, Benjamin Steakhouse is a family-owned restaurant that prides itself on high-quality steaks and fantastic service. The restaurant has locations in New York state and Tokyo, Japan.

For the steak sauce at Benjamin Steakhouse, the idea was to find the right balance of flavors. Often, steak sauces can be too sweet with a sugar level that can overpower a cut of beef. At Benjamin’s, they use brown sugar instead of white sugar in their sauce, giving their condiment a very distinctive taste that isn’t too sweet. Benjamin’s Classic steak sauces are available for purchase on their site and can be shipped nationwide.

When to Use Steak Sauce

A point of contention for some steak purists is that steak sauces can overpower the meat. Like many classic steakhouses, Benjamin’s dry ages their steaks for about 28-32 days and cooks them in a high-heat broiler until the exterior is charred. Chef Arturo McLeod, executive chef & owner of Benjamin’s Steakhouse actually recommends their sauce for steaks since this intense, charred flavor goes quite well with a balanced, slightly tangy steak sauce. As a personal choice, he also likes to dip bread in the sauce as well.

While a steak sauce isn’t something you need to use for every steak, it has its moments. A delicate filet mignon isn’t the best choice with a brown steak sauce, since the sauce can easily overwhelm the meat. But what about a charred and fatty ribeye or a marinated flank steak? Some American steak recipes do call for marinades, with some of them featuring similar ingredients to the ones found in steak sauce. Also, other cuisines do use a flavored sauce with steak (Japan cooks wagyu beef in a sweet soy sauce for sukiyaki, a hot pot dish). Ultimately, the question a diner should be asking is what cut or seasonings would complement a steak sauce? For some tastes, a tangy, slightly sweet sauce can help cut some of the richness of fatty steak. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to individual tastes.

Hunter Lu
Hunter Lu is a New York-based food and features writer, editor, and NYU graduate. His fiction has appeared in The Line…
How to sear a steak: Achieving that perfect crust
The cut you choose affects your searing technique
Different raw steak cuts

If you're worth your salt as a chef, you've got to know how to sear a steak. It's like a rite of passage, and you can't really call yourself even a decent home cook if you don't have this skill in your arsenal. It might seem fairly straightforward, but achieving that perfect golden crust may be easier said than done if you overlook some of the smaller factors that go into searing.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with everything from cast iron to infrared tools, and I’ve learned that the devil is in the details. It comes down to aspects like whether you’re working with a ribeye or a skirt steak, what flavors you're trying to achieve, and what thickness you're working with … all of that matters.

Read more
What is hanger steak? This flavorful cut packs a serious flavor burst
It's time to meet your new favorite steak
Raw hanger steak

Even if you're something of a steak connoisseur, the hanger steak may just be one cut that you're unfamiliar with. This delicious steak is tender, juicy, meaty, succulent, often hard to come by, and...cheap? While it doesn't seem to add up, this little steak is one of the best cuts of beef on the market at one of the lowest prices. So, what's the deal with hanger steak?

What is hanger steak?

Read more
Steak doneness: How to get steak temperature right
How do you prefer your steak?
Steak levels of doneness

The perfect doneness level on a steak can be a heavily debated topic. Some insist "the bloodier the better" and make quite the show about always ordering their steaks "blue." Firstly, no, that red juice is not actually blood, and second, no one is impressed by this caveperson song and dance, so cut it out. On the other side of the scale, you have people who stubbornly insist upon ordering their steaks "well done." We've found that this person is usually clinging to an antiquated fear that beef that isn't cooked through is dangerous. While we understand that some lessons are hard to unlearn and sympathize deeply with those in the "well-done" camp, there's nothing worse than a well-done steak.

If you ask us, medium-rare is the best way to order and cook a steak. It's the perfect temperature that keeps the steak warm in the center while maintaining its tender, juicy, savory, natural beefy flavor.

Read more