Akin to hollandaise, one of the five mother sauces in French cooking, béarnaise sauce with its added shallots, black pepper, and tarragon has long been an ideal companion for grilled meats, specifically steak. But lo and behold hollandaise also birthed a grandchild named Choron, whose added character from tangy tomato puree adds a new depth of flavor all its own.
Also called béarnaise tomatée, sauce Choron has all of the rich, creamy attributes of hollandaise and the warm anise notes of béarnaise topped with the umami tomato tang. The bright taste of sauce Choron balances with the richness of steak — especially flat iron or sirloin, two cuts appreciated for their tenderness and luxurious, beefy flavor — offering an acidic, slightly sweet flavor that béarnaise alone does not.
Because of its creamy, butter-rich base, sauce Choron is as versatile as béarnaise and their shared relative hollandaise. It’s delicious on a whole roasted chicken, oven-roasted vegetables, a show-stopping fish dinner, pasta, or a classic, buttery eggs Benedict.
Preparing sauce Choron
Although the traditional French recipe can be daunting, preparing sauce Choron is a snap if you start with the no-fail blender method for a quick and easy hollandaise, and replace the lemon juice with white wine vinegar reduced with dry white wine, sliced shallot, black pepper, and tarragon. Then just add a couple tablespoons of tomato puree or a single tablespoon of tomato paste for a tangy, rich sauce you’re going to want to slather on just about everything.
Though the concentrated flavor of tomato paste is perfect in a pinch, you can also make your own tomato puree or coulis using ripe plum or Roma tomatoes, or whole, canned San Marzano tomatoes. While vine-ripened tomatoes from your own garden or your local farmers market will offer the best flavor, they’re not always accessible. Just keep in mind tomato puree and tomato paste will lend different flavors to your sauce Choron, the former offering a fresh profile, while the latter is headier, tasting well-cooked and concentrated.
