Since the creation of a pan sauce starts with the meat, choose a meat that requires searing, such as this rack of lamb. The browning process of searing makes "fond" -- or caramelized bits of meat and fat that stick to the pan.

Sear the meat to create a caramelized crust, remove from the pan and add some diced aromatic vegetables, such as onions, shallots or mirepoix. The vegetables will begin to release liquid as soon as they hit the heat, which will start to dissolve the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Adding in a sprig of thyme, rosemary or parsley at this point to add another layer of flavor.

Once the onions begin to soften, deglaze the pan with wine, water or another liquid to dissolve the remaining browned bits in the liquid and completely cook the aromatic vegetables.

Allow the wine to reduce and evaporate then add some stock to the pan and reduce again.

Once the stock has reduced, finish the sauce with a knob of butter and allow it to melt off the heat by swirling the pan -- this will help emulsify the sauce. Once you've added butter, the sauce cannot be brought back up to high heat or it will "break" and become greasy.

If you like a finer result, you can strain the sauce before using it to dress the meat.