Saturday arvo kitchen: how to make red wine jus

The other night when I cooked up a couple of large pieces of rib eye, I made a couple of sauces to go with it: béarnaise and a red wine jus (jus is a French word meaning a thin gravy or sauce made from meat juices). The béarnaise is far from traditional or “proper” but it’s always tasty and this red wine jus is a sauce that my Mum has been making for years. You can use it on steak, or any kind of roast meat, if you cook the meat in a pan that has the juices and burnt bits on it…whack this finished sauce in and de-glaze the pan for even more flavour. If you rested your roasted meat and there’s juices: add them in to the sauce when you warm it back up to serve. For pork, sweeten it up by adding some quince paste or cranberry sauce (a small jar of each would work)….any which way you go is delicious and it’s dead set easy. Promise. Anyone can whack things in a cold pan and let it simmer for  a few hours right? The answer is RIGHT.

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Red wine jus

1 litre beef stock
1/2 bottle red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 brown onion (cut in half not peeled)
2 rashers of bacon
Small bouquet garni of herbs (I used bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, parsley and sage)

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1. Tie together a small bunch of herbs with string (I used bay leaves, sage, parsley, rosemary and thyme) this is called a bouquet garni (another French word meaning garnished bouquet that is used in stocks, soups and stews and is removed prior to serving). I love these little posies for the pot!

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2. Then into a sauce pan thrown in the bacon rashers, the onion cut in half (no need to peel) the herb posy, the tablespoon of tomato paste, half a bottle of red wine and the litre of beef stock and whack on high heat until it comes to the boil

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3. Once it comes to the boil turn down the heat so it’s on a very low simmer and let it reduce (uncovered) for a few hours. Let the liquid come down by at least half if not a little more and it will thicken as it reduces

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4. When it’s done strain it off all the “bits” and keep aside until you are ready to serve it when you can return it to the pot and heat through

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It’s perfect on steak, or a rare bit of roast beef like we had. If you have roast pork sweeten the sauce with some quince paste or cranberry sauce as well. Get it done well ahead in your mise en place (French culinary phrase for putting in place – set up!) and enjoy the aromas bubbling away.

Happy cooking friends and enjoy the use of these fancy French cooking words!

What do you have cooking away in the kitchen this afternoon or evening? I have some bread rolls on the bench which I may or may not have eaten with butter as thick as cheddar.

Comments

  1. Yummo! Thanks for this, way easier than I thought. Might have a crack tomorrow I think! Nothing on the go here today, this lazy Saturday. My pregnancy brain wants a dirty old burrito with sour cream, cheese, guac, beans, rice, spicy pulled beef. With a side of Rennie tablets 🙂

  2. Ha! My daughter says jam and cheese when asked what she’d like on her toast…the cheese is actually butter! I don’t know where she learnt this given she’s only one and a half. ?

  3. Hi Beth, On a slightly unrelated matter I know you swear by scanpan roasting dishes. Do you have two for doing your meat and veg separately or do you do them both in together? Thanks ☺

    • I only have one…I use it for the potatoes as they cook perfectly in it, and have another dish for the meat which I use on a rack. I think I do need to get another one though – was only thinking this the other day.

  4. Yummo, Beth. You make these things seem so do-able. I made your gravy for a roast chook the other night. Loved it!! And soooo easy, which is my kind of cooking! No more store bought gravy for me ?

    • Excellent! All this stuff really is so easy…you just need someone to explain to easily. So glad I have been able to give you a new skill!

  5. Gibbergunyah says

    I made Chadd’s bread rolls and pumpkin soup for dinner after a big day at Brigadoon.

  6. Would love your non-traditional béarnaise sauce recipe too please Beth

  7. Hi Beth

    Some simple and easy steps to make good food even better well done.
    Just a thought for all those busy mums out there.
    I have noted that we all struggle to organise whats for dinner each day!! it becomes a real hassle.
    To make life easier what about menu planning?
    This just uses my time not yours to put together the meat you would need in a week for your family.
    I will suggest some simple recipes to go with it and as a one of to speak with you about preferences and size of your family and delivery
    Maugers Meats will put it together for you and you can pick up and meet our staff or we deliver
    We offer quality free range beef ,lamb, pork and whole chickens. .
    That’s the weeks meat sorted.!!!How easy is that.
    Deliveries to the Southern Highlands only.
    contact Vicki email: [email protected]

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