The Au jus sauce recipe is a tasty dip for Beef Roast Sandwiches or for drizzling on your beef and potatoes. It is like a jacked-up beef broth made from pan drippings and beef stock infused with ingredients to up the flavor profile.
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In this recipe post, I’ll show you how to make beef au jus using the beef fat drippings of a beef roast.
Then, make delicious French Dip sandwiches or Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.
Ingredients Needed to Make the Beef Au Jus
Beef Roast Pan Drippings – The roast I used was a Sirloin tip. It is an economical choice and when thinly sliced it was perfectly tender for the sandwiches.
A USDA choice or prime rib of beef roast could be used too or top round, eye of round, rump roast, or tri-tip roast.
Small Yellow Onion – Finely chopped will add some nice flavor to the au jus.
Thyme – Either a sprig of fresh thyme or a little dried thyme.
Corn starch – For a bit of thickening.
Beef Broth or Stock – You can use store-bought containers or use Better Than Bouillon, roast beef concentrate.
Spices for a Steak Rub – Your roast will need some love before you bake it and this will also give the au jus some flavor.
Salt and pepper of course and dried oregano, dried basil, granulated or powdered garlic, and powdered onion.
If you don’t have enough beef drippings from a beef roast, you can make au jus with these ingredients.
4 tablespoons butter (57 grams) – This is the substitute for the fat content.
Small Yellow Onion – For flavor.
Thyme – A fresh sprig or ½ teaspoon dried.
Worcestershire sauce – 2 teaspoons, for flavor and umami.
Red Wine Vinegar – ½ teaspoon for a little acid.
Corn starch – 2 teaspoons to thicken.
Beef Broth – Same 2 ½ cups as above.
Salt and Pepper – Especially pepper for a little spiciness. Sample the au jus and adjust according to taste.
Kitchen bouquet – ½-1 teaspoon for color.
Preparing and Cooking a Beef Roast
Depending on the cut of meat you are using, it may need to be secured with butcher’s twine. The Sirloin Tip Roast that I used was secured in 3 places.
Then coat all sides of the Roast with olive oil and then sprinkle the meat with the Seasoning Rub that you are using. The amounts of spices I used are in the recipe card.
Use a large skillet on your stovetop to sear the beef. Put a little olive oil in the pan and turn up your heat to medium-high. Sear all sides of the roast for about 3 minutes per side.
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Place the roast into a roasting pan and place it in the oven.
Cook the roast until the Internal Temperature is 130° F for medium-rare or 140° F for medium.
The 3.2-pound roast that I used took 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach 130°. So that is 30 to 35 minutes per pound.
An oven temperature probe is a good tool to use when Roasting. Here’s a link to an inexpensive Taylor Digital Instant Read Probe.
Once the roast is done, remove it from the oven and tent it with Aluminum Foil for at least 15 minutes. This will allow the meat juices to stabilize.
How To Make Au Jus Sauce
Pour the Meat Drippings from the roast and any browned bits from the bottom of the roasting pan into a skillet or medium sauce pan. Place this on the stovetop on medium heat and then add the chopped onion.
Cook the onion until it is translucent which takes around 4 minutes. Then add the cornstarch to the Beef Broth and stir to dissolve.
Pour the broth into the skillet along with the thyme and bring this to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a suitable container. Serve it right away or store it in your refrigerator until used. Just reheat it in your microwave.
Making a Philly Cheesesteak au Jus Sandwich
Now that we have our beef au jus, we need to make a sandwich. You can make French Dip Sandwiches which are made with sturdy bread with Sliced roast beef with a bowl of aju sauce on the side.
Or, make a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. These are generally ribeye steak or beef top round on hoagie rolls with cheese melted on top. The most popular cheeses for this are American cheese, provolone, and Cheez Whiz. Swiss cheese would be good too but would not be what you will find in Philly.
I chose Provolone to make my sandwiches, but any Melty Cheese would work.
Allow your roast to completely cool then Slice it thinly using a sharp knife.
I am fortunate to have a wife who sells bread and has a meat/bread slicer. If you didn’t make a roast you could buy some sliced roast beef from your grocer’s deli.
To make a Philly Cheesesteak type sandwich you need some bread like a hoagie roll,(traditional), or Kaiser rolls as I used.
The bread should be sturdy enough to stand up to the Dipping Sauce.
Use a griddle pan or large skillet with a bit of vegetable oil on medium-high heat and add a handful of Sliced Beef for each sandwich you make.
Sear that for a couple of minutes then turn it over and add some provolone cheese slices. Cover the pan with a large lid or even some foil to hold the heat to melt the cheese.
Once nice and melted, place the meat onto your bun and add caramelized red onions and/or sauteed sweet peppers.
Leftover Au Jus Sauce
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days refrigerated. It will also freeze well in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. You could also freeze the au jus in an ice cube tray for small, individual servings.
This au jus sauce recipe is pretty tasty and easy to make. And, you can either make it with or without meat pan drippings.
It’s wonderful with a French Dip or Philly Cheesesteak sandwich.
Also, take a look at these tasty recipes:
- Healthy roasted fall vegetables`
- Awesome au gratin potatoes
- Jalapeno potatoes au gratin
- Roasted carrots with savory mushrooms
- Easy French onion soup
Beef Au Jus Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Beef Roast
- 1 3 to 4 pound beef roast, sirloin tip, top loin, rump, rib roast,
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt, mix together with the remaining ingredients to make a rub
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tbsp. granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
Au Jus
- 6 tbsp pan drippings and brown bits add some vegetable oil if necessary
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 1//2 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 fresh sprig
- kosher salt and black pepper
French Dip Sandwich
- sliced roast beef
- provolone cheese, block or slices
- hearty sandwich rolls like hoagie roll or Kaiser roll
- caramelized onions and sauteed sweet peppers
Instructions
Beef Roast
- Preheat your oven to 250° F.
- Tie your roast with butcher's twine, (trussing the beef) to keep it compact so it roasts evenly. Coat the roast all around with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, then pour on the dry rub and coat all surfaces.
- Using a large skillet on medium-high heat on the stovetop, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and sear all sides of the roast. About 3 minutes per surface.
- Place the beef into a roasting pan and place it into the oven. Roast the beef until the internal temperature is 130° F for medium-rare or 140° F for medium. This will take 30 to 35 minutes per pound of beef.
- Remove the beef from the oven and tent with aluminum foil for at least 15 minutes before it is carved. Let the beef completely cool for slicing thin.
Au Jus
- Place the pan drippings and brown bits into a skillet. Heat the skillet to medium and add the chopped onion. Saute for about 4 minutes until translucent.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the beef broth and add to the skillet along with the thyme. Turn the heat up a bit and bring it to a boil. Then simmer for another 4 to 5-minutes.
- Strain the au jus with a fine sieve into an appropriate container. Serve hot one the side for roast or as a French dip with sandwiches.
French Dip Sandwiches
- Use a griddle pan or a skillet at medium-high temperature and add about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Add a handful of sliced beef for each sandwich you are making. Sear the beef for 2 minutes then turn and place some sliced provolone on the beef. Cover with a large lid or tent with foil to allow the cheese to melt.
- Place the beef and cheese onto a bun. Carmelized onions and/or sauteed sweet peppers could be added if desired.
Notes
- If you have a favorite rub for your beef by all means use it.
- Rather than using cornstarch for thickening, simmer the au jus until it has thickened to your liking.Â
- Store leftover au jus in a tight-lidded jar in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze the au jus in a tight-lidded jar for up to 3 months.
- The nutrition information is for 1/4 cup of au jus only.
Sandy Axelrod
Oh boy, does this ever bring back memories! There was a place in Philly, I think it was called Nick’s Roast Beef, where they served the roast beef in a hoagie roll with melted provolone. The au jus softened the roll just enough to make it all so juicy and flavorful. Can’t wait to make your recipe. I’m certain it will be even more delicious than Nick’s!!!