Sumac Steak Sauce

Everyone needs a good sauce to go with their steak and my super simple sumac steak sauce comes together in minutes.

It's buttery, lemony and tangy at the same time making it such a brilliant addition to any bbq or grilled meat dish.

Sumac goes so well with meat and in Lebanon we often sprinkle it on grilled meats for a little bit of sourness.

I use both dried and fresh herbs, which each offer something different; dried herbs add intensity and fresh herbs bring lightness.

You might also like my other lemon and garlic steak recipe, or my very popular lamb chops recipe which shares many of the same ingredients.

Ingredients

Sumac has a fragrant sour taste and it is not exactly a herb but more rather a berry, which is foraged in Lebanon as it grows wild.

I'm very lucky to get sent organic wild sumac every year as it grows on my aunty's land in Lebanon.

Good quality sumac should have a reddish colour and you know it's old when it turns brown, which is unfortunately how most supermarkets sell it.

The other ingredients you need are

• butter - I always use slightly salted
• lemon - a good squueze
• dried oregano - a tiny pinch
• fresh thyme - a sprig or two
• salt and black pepper

Don't put too much sumac or lemon or it will overpower the butter, everything in measured pinches.

Instructions

The secret to the steak sauce itself is to partially melt the butter and not completely through.

This way it becomes more of a glaze that is infused with the other flavours

This sauce doesn't take more than five minutes to come together, and you musn't over do it or it will become too oily.

Variations

Sauces are flexible things, you an actually add more of the things you like and less of those you don't. Here are some suggestions:

• Black peppercorns - heat up some crushed peppercorns to give it a kick before you add the butter
• Mustard - add ¼ teaspoon of mustard to the mix
• Garlic - add a minced clove of garlic
• Smoked paprika - add a tiny sprinkle to make it more earthy

Top Tips

Source the best meat you can afford, preferably from a real butcher.

I've used flank steak and you can ask the butcher to thin it out for you.

Take the steaks out of the fridge around half an hour or more before you want to cook to bring it to room temperature.

Make sure you heat up the pan first before you add the steaks.

A small stainless steel pot is best to make the sauce

I love to serve these with hand cut fries. I use Cyprus potato variety which are very similar to those you find in Lebanon.

📖 Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Sumac steak sauce

Super simple lemon butter herb sauce for steaks and grilled meats

Course Sauce

Cuisine Lebanese, Mediterranean

Keyword Quick and Easy

Total Time 5 minutes

Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• small pinch black pepper
• small pinch dried oregano
• small pinch sumac
• squeeze of lemon
• good pinch of salt
• sprig of fresh thyme

Instructions

1. In a small pot, add the black pepper, sumac, dried oregano with the butter and heat on low until the butter just starts to melt

2. When the butter is partially melted, turn off the heat and add a squeeze of lemon, salt with the sprig of fresh thyme and swirl around until well combined
3. Taste a tiny bit to check if you need to adjust the salt or lemon (add a bit of salt if it is too sharp and more lemon if it is too dull)
4. Drizzle on your favourite steak or grilled meat.

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Check out our Youtube page for full video tutorials, our Facebook group to discuss Lebanese cooking, as well as our tiktok page for quick tips.

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Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]: