Homemade Beef Gravy Recipe
This homemade beef gravy is rich, flavorful, and simmered with vegetables, herbs, and red wine until it becomes the perfect sauce for any beef dish. I make it with a beurre manié thickener for a smooth velvety finish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 peeled small diced shallot
- 1 medium diced carrot
- 1 medium diced rib of celery
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 cup optional beef trimmings and scraps
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 6 cups beef stock
- ½ beurre manié recipe
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large roasting pan or pot over medium heat until it’s melted.
- Next add in the celery, carrots, shallots, garlic cloves, herbs, and any additional meat trimmings or scraps.
- Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until everything starts too lightly brown.
- Deglaze with the red wine while scraping the bottom of the pan to release and fond.
- Once the wine is au sec, or almost gone, add the beef stock and turn the heat up to high heat.
- Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by about 25%. It’s totally okay to eyeball it here. Doing this process will ensure the gravy is richer in flavor and color.
- In the meantime, make your beurre manie.
- Once the stock is reduced, whisk in the beurre manie a little bit at a time to ensure no clumps form.
- Turn the heat down to low medium and cook for 5 to 7 minutes to remove any starch flour flavors.
- Season the gravy with salt and pepper, and finish with 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Strain the beef gravy through a fine mesh strainer or chinois.
- Serve with optional garnish of minced fresh herbs or chives.
Notes
The step that makes the biggest difference in this gravy is reducing the stock. I cook it down by about 25 % before thickening, and that concentrates the beef flavor so the gravy tastes rich and full bodied instead of watery. It is also worth scraping up every bit of fond from the bottom of the pan when you deglaze. Those brown bits are loaded with umami flavor and should always be incorporated into the sauce.
Prep ahead for holidays: If you are making this for a holiday meal, I highly recommend prepping the mirepoix 1 to 2 days ahead. It takes a lot of pressure off the day of cooking.
Use it while resting: This gravy is perfect to make while your roast or steak is resting. The timing works out well.
Skim impurities: It is good to periodically skim and remove any impurities from the gravy as it cooks, no matter what stage it is at.
Fond is flavor: Fond are the brown proteins that stick to the bottom of the pan as meat cooks. They are loaded with umami flavor and should always be released into the food.
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead. Keep cool until ready to use.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze this, but the sauce may break, and you will need to rethicken it.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of beef gravy to a small saucepot and heat over low heat until hot. You may need to rethicken it using a small amount of roux or beurre manie.
Nutrition
Calories: 70kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 367mgPotassium: 393mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1441IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg