Red Wine Sauce: Prepare the sauce before the steaks

Put all red wine sauce ingredients, except the veal or beef stock, in a large stock pot and cook over high heat until it boils.

Reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 45 minutes until the wine is mostly reduced.

Add the veal or beef stock. Simmer for 30 more minutes.

Strain the sauce through a steel mesh collandar - you may need to do this a few times to get all particulates out.

Refrigerate if you are not preparing steaks immediately. Reheat sauce before using with steaks.

Skirt Steaks with Shallots:

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.

Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper.

Use a large saute pan. Add 4 tablespoons of canola oil to pan and heat over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, stir in 2 tablespoons butter until it melts and browns.

Add the 4 steaks and cook for 1 to 2 minutes and drizzle the oil/butter mixture over the steak. Turn and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer and continue to drizzle the oil/butter mixture over the steak while it cooks.

Remove the steaks, don't discard the oil/butter mixture in the saute pan, you will use it for the shallots. Place the steaks in the baking dish - don't put them in the oven yet.

Return the saute pan to medium heat and put the 4 cups of sliced shallots in the saute pan. Fold the oil/butter over the shallots while they cook.

After about 2 minutes, add 2 tablespoons of butter and the minced thyme. Reduce the heat to low and stir the shallots until they have begun to caramelize.

Smother the tops of the steaks with shallots and place in the oven until they are done to your liking.

While the steaks are cooking, reheat the red wine sauce.

Put the steaks on their serving plates and drizzle red wine sauce over each steak.