What is the correct sauce to accompany meat?

Question

Most meats seem to have a sauce that traditionally goes with them. For instance; Chicken and bread sauce. Beef and horseraddish sauce. Pork and apple sauce.
What about lamb or mutton? I was always told that mint sauce went with mutton and and onion sauce went with lamb.
My understanding is that fatty meats would generally have and acidic sauce to go with them. Hence apple and pork and, perhaps, orange and duck,
Mutton can be fatty and mint sauce is acidic.
Mutton is quite a rarity these days and mint sauce is popular so perhaps that is why the corruption has crept in and all today will say Mint sauce goes with Lamb.
What do you think?

Answer

What is bread sauce?

Answer

I like a herbed butter sauce with lamb or steak.

Answer

A glass of good wine is the perfect sauce.

Answer

I know that lamb "calls for" mint sauce, but that didn't sound appealing to me. So my first time making lamb I decided to make some apricot sauce (by reconstituting dried apricots with water in a saucepan and then pureeing them). It went really well with the lamb.

Answer

There's no specifics as to what meat goes with what sauce, just pick what tastes good to you. Generally you're looking for balance and contrast between the meat and the sauce, so which one you choose will vary depending on the preparation of the meat and the outcome you want. A slightly reduced stock enriched with butter, shallots, and perhaps some herbs is always a great safe bet for any meat.

Answer

Thanks for your welcome!
Am I correct in saying that most of you respondants are from the US?
I am Brtitish and in the UK there are traditions regarding what sauce goes with what meat, particularly when it comes to the "Sunday Roast". However, all the other possibilities are fine and very tasty and are used; but are not traditional! Generally in England, meat is not eaten in great lumps, as with grilled beef steak, but is roasted and carved into thin slices and served with one of the sauces mentioned.
Bread sauce tastes particularly good with roast chicken. The sauce is made by steeping milk with onion and cloves and then thickening with white breadcrumbs.

Answer

When saucing I like gravy with chicken, Bordelaise with beef, Dijon/vermouth/sage pan sauce with pork and lamb simply accompanied by its own jus.

Personally I think chicken and pork benefit greatly from a sauce while I prefer steak and lamb without.

Answer

Any sauce. Any gravy. All meat needs a sauce or a gravy. All meat. Unless laziness or lack of culinary skill are involved. Then a plain piece of well done dry meat on a cold plate will be de facto.

 
Mint sauce with market lamb. Yes.

Spring lamb takes a lemon / olive oil sauce.


Apple mint jelly. Its a condiment. Not a sauce.

Answer

Ok my last comment on this.
We brits like..........
Lamb with mint sauce
Beef with English mustard
Chicken with Chicken gravy
Pork with apple sauce.
Different countrys like different food tastes.
I found American food very bland , and with no real substance to many of there dishes, as it mainly consists of burgers & Fried chicken.We brits are World famous for our cuisine so don't knock it !.

Answer

I don't think you can say there IS a correct sauce. there are some who work better than others, but some flesh or pastas and even some vegetables. can be very versatile.

if the topic is within a specific region, I'd I expect these pairings come from the UK and the NE US corridor, but even then only in an old school recipes/preparations.

play with it! experiment! how would a Mexican sauce their Roast Pork, or a Greek their Lamb? 

I'd say ketchup is almost always incorrect (hey you people, stop throwing those shoes at me!) but that certainly doesn't rule out tomatoes. a sauce heavily influenced by Mint or Basil and even Parsley or Cilantro can do wonderful things to most anything.

Answer

The correct sauce for all meats is saliva. Preferably your own.

Topics

Locations

Your post has been published!

What is the correct sauce to accompany meat?

Discussion Summary

Recipe

Traditional Bread Sauce

More from Chowhound

Guides

The Ultimate Spring Produce Guide: What's in Season & How to Use It

Recipe Round-Ups

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes for Less Morning Stress

Guides

How to Care for Enameled Cast Iron So It Lasts a Lifetime

Home

The Best Tool to Clean a Wood Cutting Board Is Probably in Your Compost Bin

Trending Discussions

Chowhound Recipes That You are Saving

A Final Goodbye for Chowhound

Favorite Chowhound Memories

NY Times: Chowhound Closes After 25 Years of Food Obsession, Wisdom and Debate

January–April 2022 Baking COTM: DESSERT PERSON by Claire Saffitz

Quick Links

Latest Discussions

Cookbook of the Month

Dish of the Month

Weekly Menu Planning

Get fresh food news delivered to your inbox

12 Irish Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day That Aren’t Corned Beef and Cabbage

Chowhound

Policies

Community

Editorial

Content