Horseradish Sauce for Beef

About This Creamy Horseradish Sauce Recipe

Most homemade horseradish sauce recipes do not call for sauted garlic and you can certainly omit it if you wish. However the flavor it infuses into the mix of classic ingredients will more than justify the inclusion and the few extra minutes you spend to prepare it. It will simply be the best horseradish sauce you have tasted. 

What is Horseradish Sauce?

Horseradish sauce combines prepared horseradish with a dairy product such as heavy cream or sour cream and other flavoring agents.

Alternatively mayonnaise can be used to make the sauce creamy. The resulting combination has a much milder flavor than the raw root vegetable or the prepared version. 

NOTE: Prepared horseradish is the finely grated pungent fresh horseradish root soaked in vinegar. Salt and a bit of water are typically added and the mixture develops a pasty consistency.  

What Does Horseradish Taste Like?

Grated horseradish root has a particularly strong mustard like bite to it and tastes stronger than wasabi. After all it is a member of the Cruciferae family of pungent plants such as broccoli and cabbage which includes both mustard and wasabi.

The volatile compound responsible for its unique spicy flavor is known as isothiocyanate. It forms when compounds separately contained in different cells of the root react.

The reaction occurs when the root is cut, crushed, grated etc. Isothiocyanate causes the tears and sharp tongue and nasal cavity irritatation associated with raw horseradish.  

When vinegar is added to the bruised raw horseradish root it acts to stabilize the reaction and produces a milder flavor, hence the reason for making prepared horseradish. 

Why Do People Put Horseradish on Steak?

Horseradish brings simultaneously exciting and dissonant notes to the foods it is paired with. In the case of the strong beefy taste of steaks like ribeye, prime rib roasts, beef tenderloin and burgers it both accentuates and counters the richness of the meat's flavor.

Both the plain prepared version and the creamy horseradish condiment are wonderful for beef. 

Creamy Horseradish Sauce Ingredients

Olive oil and minced garlic. To create savory flavors notes once the garlic is sauteed. We recommend extra virgin olive oil.

Sour cream. We recommend full fat naturally soured cream to act as the best backdrop for the acidity of the other ingredients.

Prepared horseradish. Can be store-bought or homemade from raw grated root. Add it to taste depending on how potent it is.

Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Both bring wonderful umami depth to the sauce. 

Kosher salt, black pepper and chives. To season the horseradish cream sauce, add as needed and be sure to chop the chives really fine.

Vinegar? You can, if you want, add a teaspoon to a tablespoon or so of mild vinegar such as apple cider vinegar. Our recipe does not call for it - the sour notes of the sour cream, prepared horseradish, mustard and Worcestershire combined seem to provide plenty of acidity.  

How to Make Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib & Other Beef Cuts

The consise instructions follow in the Recipe Card along with the quantities for each ingredient.

That being said, as you follow the steps outlined below feel free to add the ingredients to taste and create a sauce that has just the right amount of heat for your palate.

Saute & Mix. Mince the garlic and over medium heat saute it in the olive oil until just soft and fragrant. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in or whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Reserve a little of the chives. 

Transfer & Garnish. Pour the sour cream horseradish sauce into a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved chives for visual effect. Serve.

Variation: Horseradish Sauce with Mayo

If you do not have sour cream on hand but do have a jar of mayonnaise, then the substitution is easy.

Mix mayo with some vinegar (apple cider or white wine) or lemon juice until you are satified with the level of tangy notes introduced by the acidic ingredients. Then use it in place of the sour cream and make the recipe as written. 

Horsey Sauce 

Arby's horsey sauce, very well known among lovers of fast food roast beef sandwiches and burgers, is mayonnaise based. It has four main ingredients and the way you would make it is by mixing together:

• mayo (1 cup),
• prepared horseradish (¼ cup)
• sugar (1 tbsp) 
• salt ( ¼ tsp)  

We feel obliged to note that horsey sauce lacks the depth and sophistication of a sour cream based horseradish sauce such as the one we prepare here. But if in a pinch, you can certainly whip it up! 

Best Cuts of Beef to Serve This Horseradish Sauce With (Plus Other Foods)

The usual suspects are of course well-known cuts such as:

• prime rib roast
• beef tenderloin and filet mignon
• ribeye steaks (Cowboy, Tomahawk, boneless cuts)
• New York Strip steak
• burgers

Less common but equally good tasting beef cuts that welcome it are:

• picanha roast
• outside skirt steak
• inside skirt steak in oven
• Bavette steak
• Coulotte steak

Overall, no cut of beef will protest if you pair it with this zesty sauce. Other dishes would benefit from it as well:

• grilled lamb steaks
• grilled lamb loin chops
• lamb lollipops
• mashed potatoes
• baked potatoes
• deviled eggs
• raw oysters
• pan seared salmon
• grilled pork steak
• pork skewers

How to Store Leftover Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Store unused horseradish sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep well for at least a week. 

Interesting to Know - What Does Horseradish Have to do with Horses?

Few people realize that the origins of the name of the horseradish root in English come from German. In this language the plant is known as meerrettich (sea radish, because it grows near the sea; meer=sea, rettich=radish).

English speakers mispronounced the word meer and called it mareradish. The connection to the word horse from there seems plausible. The name for the plant and its famous gastronomical root became horseradish. 

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German Horseradish Sauce | Tomahawk Steak | Cowboy Steak | Outside Skirt Steak | Bavette Steak | Coulotte Steak | Merlot Steak