Homemade Au Jus
On March 11, 2024 (Updated September 24, 2024)
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My Au Jus is the flavor fix for both French dips and prime rib alike. It’s just 6 ingredients, ready in minutes, and the savory soak your roast beef craves.
Au Jus
Au jus, sometimes called au jus gravy, is a savory sauce used to infuse your beef with an extra layer of flavor. It works great for thick beef cuts like prime rib, by allowing you to introduce more flavor to the interior of your sliced beef. It has the same effect on the beef in French dip sandwiches, as well as melts the cheese and soaks into the bread. In short, it’s a great way to elevate the flavor to all your favorite beef roast meals.
Make some of my homemade beef tallow or grab some butter and few pantry staples and a saucepan, and you’ve got everything you need to make this rich, savory dip. Now, let’s get started.
Ingredients for Au Jus
Au jus is a great way to enhance the savory beef flavor of thick cuts like prime rib, and it’s super easy to make. You can use some of my Beef Tallow or just some butter and a handful of ingredients you likely have on hand already. Here’s everything you need for this rich, beefy dip:
- 2 Tablespoons beef tallow (or unsalted butter)
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups beef stock (or pan drippings)
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
If you want to give your au jus a touch of heat, you can also add a pinch of black pepper. This is totally optional, of course.
What Sets This Recipe Apart
A traditional au jus sauce is essentially just the beef drippings from your dish used as a drizzle or dip when serving. I use a roux in my recipe, which is a mixture of flour and fat, to thicken up my sauce. It will still be thinner than a gravy so it won’t feel heavy, but it will have better coating ability than a thinner traditional au jus. It goes great with my Smoked French Dip Sandwich.
If your family likes the thinness of a more traditional au jus, you can reduce the roux or skip it altogether. If you like a thicker, almost gravy-like sauce, you can increase the amount you use. The great thing about making your own au jus is it’s totally customizable to your liking.
Pro Tip: If you want to really give your prime rib au jus recipe an extra level of savory beef flavor, then use the recommended Homemade Beef Tallow over a butter or other fat.
How to Make Au Jus
This rich and savory au jus will take your dipped sandwiches and roast beef to a whole new level of beefy flavor, and it’s super easy to make. Grab the handful of easy ingredients for this recipe, and let’s get started.
- Mix roux. In a medium saucepan, melt your homemade beef tallow (or butter) over medium heat. Once your fat has melted down, whisk in your flour until a smooth paste forms and cook for 1-2 minutes to set. This roux will give your au jus just a little bit of thickness so it’s more sauce than juice.
- Add the rest. Once your roux is ready, you can whisk in some warm beef stock and then stir while bringing it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and whisk in your red wine and Worcestershire sauce, salt to taste, and then simmer for 3-5 minutes. and bring to a boil while stirring.
- Serve and enjoy. Once this rich, savory beef broth is ready, you can serve it immediately as a dip for sandwiches, and alongside or drizzled over all your favorite beef roasts.
Storage Tips
If you’ve got any leftover au jus, you can store it and use it for an additional 3-4 days. Simply place the leftovers in an airtight container and store in your refrigerator. It will still be good warmed up this way up to 4 days. Use it to drizzle on any leftover prime rib or as a dip for fresh French dip sandwiches.
Savory Serving Suggestions
Au jus and horseradish sauce are great ways to give extra depth of flavor to beef. Especially thick, meaty cuts like prime rib that don’t get a lot of seasoning inside. So, here are a few of my favorite prime rib recipes to serve with this amazing sauce:
- Perfect Prime Rib Roast
- Rosemary and Thyme Garlic Stuffed Prime Rib
- Smoked Prime Rib Roast
- Smoked French Dip Sandwich
- Smoked Garlic Butter Prime Rib
Homemade Au Jus Recipe
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Au Jus
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Beef Tallow or unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low sodium beef stock warmed
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
Instructions
- Mix roux. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter or beef tallow over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Cook for 1-2 minutes.2 Tablespoons Beef Tallow, 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the rest. Whisk in the warm beef stock and bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce the heat and whisk in the red wine and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the salt, taste for seasoning, and add more salt as needed.2 cups low sodium beef stock, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- Serve and enjoy. Serve as a dip for sandwiches, or alongside beef roast like prime rib.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
