Roast Beef Gravy – Juicy Chef-Tested Secrets

Ingredients

Gravy Base

¼ cup Beef pan drippings (ideally from a rib roast or chuck. Aim for roughly 2 parts fat to 1 part dark fond.)
¼ cup All-purpose flour (Use a 1:1 ratio with fat by weight for a coating-thick gravy. For a lighter consistency, reduce to 3 tablespoons.)
2 cups Beef stock (low-sodium preferred)
½ cup Dry red wine (Cabernet or Merlot (optional))
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt (to taste, added at the end)
Cracked black pepper (to taste, added at the end)
Fresh thyme or rosemary sprig ((optional))

Instructions

Making the Gravy

Pull your roast beef from the oven when it hits an internal temperature of 130–135°F (54–57°C) for medium-rare or 145°F (63°C) for medium. Rest it tented with foil for at least 15–20 minutes.

Place your roasting pan directly over two burners on medium heat. Add the red wine (or ½ cup of stock if skipping wine) and scrape every browned bit from the bottom with a wooden spoon or flat whisk.

Pour the drippings (strained of any large solids) into a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and whisk constantly for 2 full minutes.

Stream in the warm beef stock in three additions, whisking vigorously between each pour. Add the Worcestershire sauce, the deglazed wine fond liquid, and the herb sprig.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust salt only now. Remove the herb sprig and serve immediately or keep warm on the lowest heat setting.

Notes

Values are per ¼-cup serving, based on drippings from a bone-in rib roast. Actual values vary based on fat content of your specific drippings.