This Easy Hack Makes a Delicious Au Jus Without Pan Drippings

This recipe, engineered to be absolutely delicious with or without the drippings, builds flavor with the help of an essential umami ingredient. Laura Rege/TNS

No need to roast a whole beef to enjoy au jus, roast beef’s main sidekick. Thinner than a gravy, but slightly thicker than a sauce, au jus is the perfect dipping sauce for French dip sandwiches or a decadent sauce drizzle over meat and mashed potatoes. They’re classically made from beef drippings—those little brown bits, fat, and juices leftover in the roasting pan after roasting beef—but this version is engineered to be absolutely delicious with or without the drippings.

In lieu of drippings, we build flavor with garlic, thyme, Dijon mustard, and the absolute essential umami ingredient to both flavor and darken the au jus to a beautiful hue: Worcestershire sauce.

What Is Au Jus?

Au jus, which translates to “with juice,” is a classic French sauce mainly used to boost flavor in roasted meat dishes. It’s somewhere between beef broth and gravy and is surprisingly easy to prepare.

How to Make Au Jus With Drippings

Although this recipe is intended to be prepared on its own, don’t click away if you’re wondering how to use those precious pan drippings that only continue to boost flavor. Here’s how: