Easy Traditional Beef Gravy Recipe - The Spruce Eats

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Traditional Beef Gravy By Elaine Lemm Elaine Lemm Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process Updated on 03/27/21 (81) Save Write a Review Print Close

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 15 mins Total: 25 mins Servings: 8 servings 81 ratings Write a Review Add a comment SaveRecipe

Traditional beef gravy is the best accompaniment to roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, the national dish of Great Britain. There's no need to serve ready-made gravy when making it is so simple and tastes so much better than anything you can buy.

There are a few tricks to making a great gravy. If you can, always use the delicious pan juices from your roast, and homemade stock will almost always be tastier than store-bought stock. It doesn't matter what type of red wine (or port) you use in the recipe. As long as it is a wine you'd drink, that works fine. In fact, it's a nice conversation starter to use the wine you are serving at dinner. Then all you need are a few ingredients, and your Sunday roast or supper dish will be transformed by tasty homemade gravy.

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• 1 cup roast meat pan juices, such as beef or lamb

• 1/3 cup red wine, or port

• 2 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock

• 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into very small cubes

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Place the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stovetop over high heat until the meat juices begin to bubble, taking care not to burn the juice as it bubbles up quickly.

3. Pour in the red wine and scrape all the bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.

4. Allow this mixture to bubble until it is reduced to a sticky, concentrated glaze. Do not leave the pan unattended, as the reduction happens very quickly and can quickly burn.

5. Add the stock to the sauce and stir thoroughly to incorporate the stock into the reduced glaze.

6. Once it is fully mixed, strain the gravy through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat and reduce it by one-third.

7. Once the gravy is reduced, add the butter in tiny pieces, shaking the pan gently until all the butter is melted and fully incorporated into the sauce. Adding the ice-cold butter not only adds flavor and richness, but it also gives the gravy a glossy shine. 

8. Check the resting meat to see if it has given up any more meat juices (beef and lamb often will as the meat relaxes). Add these juices to the gravy and give it another quick boil. 

9. Keep the gravy warm until needed, then strain into a gravy boat or bowl and serve.

How to Store

• Store any leftover gravy in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Once it cools, the fat will likely separate. Gently stir it as you warm it in a saucepan to reheat it.
• Leftover gravy can also be frozen. Defrost it in the refrigerator and then gently rewarm it.
• Serve the leftover gravy with any leftover meat or give it a new life as a dressing for tasty sandwiches or a decadent topping to homemade steak fries.

Tips

• Once the roast meat is cooked, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board or platter. Wrap it loosely in aluminum foil and leave it to rest as you make this gravy.
• Pour away any excess fat from the meat juices before beginning this recipe.

Are Beef Consommé and Beef Stock the Same as Gravy?

Beef stock is a flavored liquid made using beef bones and often aromatics like onion. After simmering for some time, the liquid is strained, and the stock can be used to make soups or add flavor to a wide range of dishes, including gravies. Consommé is made with stock that is clarified using egg whites and is enjoyed as a light dish on its own. Gravy is thicker and often more flavorful than stock or consommé and is used as a sauce to top meat dishes, mashed potatoes, and more.

Warm Up With One of These Tender, Delicious Pot Roasts

• British Sides
• Beef Mains
• Condiments & Sauces

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
29	Calories
1g	Fat
1g	Carbs
1g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label ×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	29
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g	2%
Saturated Fat 1g	5%
Cholesterol 4mg	1%
Sodium 119mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 1g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 6mg	0%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 124mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

• sauce
• beef gravy
• dinner
• british

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