Natural Beef Jus. Recipe

Roast bones and trimmings

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Spread the beef bones and trimmings on a rimmed roasting pan. Roast for 30–40 minutes, turning once, until well browned. This concentrated browning adds deep flavor to the jus.

Sauté aromatics

Remove the pan from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) or transfer bones to a heavy-bottomed stockpot on the stovetop over medium heat. In the stockpot, add the unsalted butter. Once melted, add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add the smashed garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Deglaze and build flavor

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up brown bits from the bottom. Reduce the wine by about half, 3–5 minutes.

Simmer the stock

Transfer roasted bones and trimmings into the pot if they are not already there. Add cold water (about 6 cups), thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and whole peppercorns. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Do not boil vigorously — maintain a low simmer. Skim any foam or scum from the surface with a ladle during the first 20–30 minutes. Simmer gently for 3–4 hours, uncovered or partially covered, concentrating flavor. Add more water if necessary to keep bones mostly submerged.

Strain and reduce

When the stock has reduced and tastes intensely beefy, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean saucepan or pot. Press gently on solids to extract liquid, then discard solids. Return the strained stock to the stove and reduce over medium heat until it reaches a glossy, sauce-like consistency — about 30–60 minutes depending on volume. You are aiming for about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of finished jus from this amount of starting liquid.

Finish and season

Once reduced, taste and season with kosher salt (start with 1.5 tsp and adjust). For a silkier finish, whisk in the cold butter 1 tablespoon at a time off the heat (monter au beurre). Keep warm until service.

Bring a small nonstick skillet to medium heat and add butter or neutral oil. Crack the farm egg into the pan and cook to your preference: for a runny yolk, cook sunny-side up for 2–3 minutes (cover briefly to set the white) or fry 2 minutes per side for over-easy. Season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, spoon a pool of warm natural beef jus onto the plate or into a shallow bowl. Place the cooked farm egg on top or to the side so the yolk can mingle with the jus when cut. Serve immediately.