The Worst Bottled Steak Sauce Is From One Of America's Oldest Steakhouses
Steak sauce is one of those quirky pantry items that's kind of a faux pas to add to actual steak, but perfectly acceptable (and delicious) on other cuts of meat. The controversy stems from the original use of British brown sauce, what we now know as steak sauce. Initially, steak sauce was popularized in the United Kingdom during the late 1800s as a way to hide the off-putting taste of old beef. Why people were eating putrid-tasting foul beef is a mystery to us, but we're glad that's not the case anymore.
After meat preservation technology and cooking techniques improved, there wasn't as much of a need for a sauce made from fruits, spices, and vinegar, yet people still clamored for its taste. We recently ranked 11 steak sauce brands and were surprised to find that the least favorite turned out to be Peter Luger steak sauce. For those unfamiliar with the iconic steak house, Peter Luger's first opened in 1887 in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. While Peter Luger's doesn't quite pre-date steak sauce itself — but almost — it does pre-date the Williamsburg bridge, aka this place is old. Since its founding, Peter Luger's has expanded to locations in Las Vegas and Tokyo, perfecting its mouthwatering menu of meats along the way so it's a big disappointment the steak sauce doesn't live up to the hype.
Better uses for steak sauce
From its watery base to its "burnt-orange" flavor, Peter Luger steak sauce failed our taste buds on so many levels. The only shred of silver lining here is you really don't need the Peter Luger steak sauce to enjoy its steaks, or any properly prepared steak for that matter — the strong spices in steak sauce tend to overpower the natural, delicious simplicity of the meat. We recommend you use steak sauce for dishes that could use added layers of flavoring. A good steak sauce is great on your favorite roasted vegetables, splashed over grilled chicken, eggs, or even fries.
Just because the use for steak sauce has evolved past its name, doesn't mean it's not still a useful pantry ingredient. The steak sauce that won the elusive "best" seat in our ranking was A.1. — the foundational steak sauce brand. A.1. was created for King George IV in 1824, by one of his personal chefs. King George liked the stuff so much that he rated it "A1" upon tasting it, solidifying the A.1. name forever. So next time you're craving a little zip to your dishes, reach for the royally approved brown sauce, A.1.