Beef Au Jus Sauce Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between jus and au jus? ›

Jus is a specific type of sauce, made from meat juice that has typically been derived from a roast. It's thus typically served as an accompaniment to meat, especially roast beef, which is then known as beef "au jus".

Although au jus is not intended to be gravy, you can thicken the sauce by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a microwave-safe bowl, adding 1 tablespoon of flour, and whisking these together. Then, add about 2 tablespoons of the prepared au jus sauce to the butter-flour mixture.

Like gravy, jus (pronounced zhoo) starts with the drippings from cooked meat. Unlike gravy, however, it is not thickened with flour; instead, the liquid is reduced until it reaches the desired consistency, which is usually thinner than gravy.

Au jus mix is typically made from a roast, then condensed. Beef gravy mix is made from a roast and thickened with cornstarch. But, you can substitute a beef gravy mix or dry onion soup mix if you don't have au jus mix.

You absolutely can use chicken broth or bouillon cubes. I'd go easy with the bullion though, it's usually salty. A couple of tips though: Start by searing the meat well on all sides to develop color and flavor. You'll also leave some fond in the pot, which you'll lift off and infuse into your cooking liquid.

Beef broth is made by simmering beef bones, mirepoix (typically onion, carrots, and celery), hearty herbs, and spices in water, to extract flavor into the liquid. Au jus is basically beefed up beef broth. Amplify the savory flavor of beef broth by simmering it with drippings from roast beef (double beef flavor).

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

Reduce Your Liquid

One way to make your soup or sauce thicker is by reducing it in a saucepan. For this tip, try dividing your liquid in half, then in two saucepans, reduce your sauce to a low heat simmer. Reducing a liquid can also cause the flavors to become more pronounced and vibrant.

Three Ways to Thicken Sauce (Cornstarch, Roux, Beurre Manie) | Cook's Illustrated.

Red-eye gravy is a gravy made from the drippings of ham fried in a skillet or frying pan. The pan is deglazed with coffee, giving the gravy its name, and uses no thickening agent. This gravy is a staple of Southern United States cuisine and is usually served over ham, grits or biscuits.

Is KFC gravy beef gravy? ›

What is the gravy at KFC made of? The restaurant uses a simple combination of gravy powder, water, and – their secret ingredient – chicken crackling. This is a collection of the browned bits and pieces leftover from frying their world famous chicken.

And although people were impressed by its similar taste, as it turns out KFC's gravy is made very differently. As a self-identified KFC employee revealed in a TikTok, KFC's gravy is made of chicken cracklings, not bouillon, as the copycat recipe suggests.

Alternatively, you can use pre-made beef bouillon granules. Combine Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef bouillon granules (or crushed cubes), onion powder, dried parsley flakes, white pepper, garlic powder, and celery salt. Use a whisk or a fork to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly mixed.

Bone Broth

Bone broth is a healthy and tasty stock made from beef bones and can replace an au jus since it has a similar consistency and flavor profile. The key difference is that bone broth is not made with any pieces of meat, and au jus is.

A few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf elevate the soup even more, but I take it a step further, adding a splash of fish sauce for complexity and depth—don't worry, it won't taste fishy—and a hit of cider vinegar to balance some of that oniony sweetness.

Can you use brown gravy instead of au jus? Yes! A 1 ounce packet of brown gravy mix can be used in place of the au jus mix. The flavor may be slightly different because there is a different amount of sodium and a different seasoning base, but it shouldn't change the recipe much and it will still be delicious!

Stock – You will need good beef stock for this sauce. Pan Drippings – Gather as many of the drippings from the beef roast as you can. Seasonings – I like to use salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce for the seasonings. Fat – You will need some rendered beef fat, butter, or oil to roast the mirepoix in.

Au jus is a French term that simply means “with juice”. Au jus is a type of sauce that is traditionally made from meat drippings.