Homemade Beef Au Jus Recipe
Published December 16, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious homemade beef au jus recipe is simple to make and is an excellent accompaniment to your beef roast dishes. The flavors in this au jus will complement the meat perfectly.
We are a sauce family in our house, pouring it on as many things as possible. If you want to try out new sauce recipes, then my Pomodoro sauce or chimichurri are must makes.
Au Jus
Au jus is meat served with its own natural juices, commonly with a beef roast. While jus translates to juice and can describe anything involving juice from fruit to chicken, jus de viande is a more accurate term for juices from meat. The term au jus is French and translates to the meat that is served and presented with its own natural juices.
While making the jus, it is sometimes difficult to garner enough natural juice, so stock is often supplemented to help add flavor and quantity.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mirepoix – A combination of 50% onions, 25% celery, and 25% carrots is used.
- Garlic – smashed garlic cloves will help add flavor to this jus.
- Wine – I like to deglaze with cabernet sauvignon. However, you can use merlot, Bordeaux, or shiraz.
- 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.
How to Make Beef Au Jus from Scratch
In a large rondeau pot or regular pot, roast the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in rendered fat, butter, or oil, over medium heat while stirring until well browned. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Deglaze with the red wine and cook until au sec or almost gone.
Add in the stock and pan drippings and bring to a boil.
Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to help concentrate the flavors until the vegetables are tender and the liquid amount is reduced by about 1/3.
Strain the au jus and return the sauce to a pot over low heat.
Finish by seasoning with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and butter or chilled rendered fat. See chef notes.
Try serving this with my Smoked Prime Rib or Standing Ribeye Roast recipe.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 2 days ahead of time. Please keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
How to Store: Cover the jus and store it in the refrigerator for 6 to 7 days. Freeze this covered for up to 6 months. You can add it straight to a pot to reheat.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of au jus to a medium-sized saucepot and cook over low heat until hot.
Chef Notes + Tips
- A yellow, sweet, or white onion will work. In addition, you can use a shallot as well.
- Cool the pan drippings as quickly as possible for maximum flavor in the freezer. You will notice the fat will solidify and separate from the drippings. Use the rendered fat to finish off the au jus.
- The process of finishing a sauce with butter or fat is known as “monter,” or to mount with chilled fat.
More Sauce Recipes
Homemade Beef Au Jus Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or rendered chilled beef roast fat
- 1 peeled and medium diced yellow onion
- 1 medium diced rib of celery
- 1 peeled and medium diced carrot
- 2-3 smashed garlic cloves
- ½ cup red wine
- 4 cups beef stock or pan drippings
- 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large rondeau pot or regular pot, roast the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in 2 tablespoons of rendered fat, butter, or oil, over medium heat while frequently stirring until well browned. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Deglaze with the red wine and cook until au sec, or almost gone.
- Add in the stock and pan drippings and bring to a boil.
- Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to help concentrate the flavors and until the vegetables are tender and the liquid amount is reduced by about 1/3.
- Strain the au jus and return the sauce to a pot over low heat.
- Finish by seasoning with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoons of butter or chilled rendered fat. Keep warm before serving. See chef notes.
Best au jus EVER! My son smoked a Tri tip and we had leftovers. I sliced it thin, made this au jus and had French dip sandwiches for dinner. So much better than from a restaurant! Thanks Chef for another fabulous recipe!
Awesome! Thank you for giving it a shot!