Rich, Slow-Cooked Beef Gravy

Rich, Slow-Cooked Beef Gravy

If you want restaurant-quality gravy at home, this recipe is the ultimate guide. It’s a labor of love but absolutely worth it, yielding a rich, deeply flavored gravy that elevates any roast. This recipe makes about 500ml and freezes beautifully for future use.

Ingredients

• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 bulb of garlic, halved crosswise
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 handful of fresh thyme and rosemary
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 5 beef bones (around 300-500g)
• 1 chicken frame (optional, but great for flavor)
• Optional extras:
  • 1 pig trotter or chicken feet (for extra gelatin)
  • Half a leek and a couple of celery stalks (for added depth)
• 5 liters of water
• 500ml red wine (optional, for deglazing)

Instructions

Step 1: Roast the Bones

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C.
2. Place the beef bones (and any chicken frame, pig trotter, or chicken feet if using) on a baking tray.
3. Roast for 40 minutes, turning halfway, until deeply browned but not burnt.

Step 2: Start the Stock

1. Transfer the roasted bones to a large pot and add 5 liters of water.
2. Pour 500ml water into the roasting tray, scraping up any browned bits. Add this liquid to the pot.
3. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any impurities (scum) that rise to the surface. Simmer gently for 1 hour.

Step 3: Roast the Vegetables

1. While the bones simmer, heat a little vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic, roasting them until they develop a deep golden color.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes to caramelize it.
4. Add your fresh herbs, then deglaze the pan:
   • If using red wine, pour in 500ml, simmer until reduced by half, then add 500ml water or chicken stock.
   • If skipping wine, just add 500ml water or stock.

Step 4: Combine and Simmer

1. Add the roasted vegetables and their liquid to the pot with the bones.
2. Skim impurities regularly, and if possible, tilt the pot slightly on the burner so impurities collect in one corner for easy skimming.
3. Continue to simmer gently for 5 hours, topping up with water as needed to keep the bones submerged.

Step 5: Strain and Reduce

1. After 5 hours, strain the stock through a fine sieve, discarding the solids.
2. Return the liquid to the pot and simmer gently, reducing it until you have around 500-750ml of intensely flavored stock.
3. Continue to skim any scum that forms, tilting the pot if needed.

Step 6: Store or Serve

• Use the gravy immediately, or cool and freeze in portions for later.
• To serve, add to the pan juices from your roast meat for a luxurious, deeply flavored gravy.

Pro Tip: Save the Fat

After roasting the bones, pour off the rendered fat into a container and use it to make the crispiest roast potatoes.

This gravy is truly an act of love, but the payoff is a rich, glossy sauce that transforms your Christmas or Sunday roast into something unforgettable.

Enjoy the process

Del x