Whether you had prime rib or roasted lamb for Christmas dinner, prepare this quick and easy au jus sauce to add flavor to your holiday leftovers!  Au jus is French for “with juice” as it refers to meat entrée served with its roasting juices.

Although au jus is often served with prime rib and made from its juices, this sauce can also be made from tri-tip roast or beef tenderloin pan drippings. Au jus is a versatile sauce that can be prepared in only 10 minutes by following our recommended recipe below.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons beef drippings, butter, or a combination of the two
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups unsalted or low-sodium beef broth
• 3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Add the beef drippings a large saucepan. If you don’t have enough beef drippings, you can substitute butter for the beef fat in the au jus sauce. However, beef drippings are preferred as they will intensify the beef flavor and the overall savoriness of the sauce.
2. Melt the beef drippings (and butter, if needed) over medium-heat to a liquid form. Then, sprinkle flour over the fat and whisk for 30-45 seconds. The flour to fat ratio will give the sauce body, but not enough for it to be considered a traditional gravy.
3. Once the fat and flour are combined, slowly add the beef broth while whisking each addition. Next, add the remaining seasonings: soy sauce, Kosher salt, and black pepper to enhance the sauce’s beef flavor.
4. Let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes to slightly thicken it and intensify its flavors. After the 4-5 minutes, the au jus sauce is ready to serve!

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. Whisk to combine and add it all back to the original au jus saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat and stir until thickened to your liking.

Cooking Details

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 – 1 1/2 to 2 ounces per serving

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