How to Make Brown Sauce

Measure ingredients before starting. If you try to measure ingredients while cooking, the dish may quickly dry out or burn. Prepare everything you need and measure the ingredients in advance before you start cooking.

Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a small pot. Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning. Once the butter is melted, proceed to the next step.

• Mix the flour thoroughly into the butter to avoid lumps, as any remaining flour chunks could cause the brown sauce to be lumpy. Combining hot flour and butter is the basic step to making a "roux" sauce.

Sprinkle an additional 3 tablespoons of flour and mix well. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes smooth. To make this process easier, add one tablespoon at a time, using a whisk to quickly dissolve any flour clumps and smooth the sauce. Pay attention to the consistency of the sauce.

• The longer the flour cooks, the darker and thicker it will become. For a lighter sauce, stop cooking once the sauce reaches a light brown color. To make a darker, thicker sauce, keep stirring and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
• The butter and flour create a rich, fatty base for the sauce. You can increase both ingredients for a richer, thicker sauce while still using 2 cups of liquid. Simply increase the butter and flour in equal proportions.

Slowly add 2 cups of warm liquid and bring it to a boil. Warm the liquid in a separate pot or microwave before bringing it to a boil. Add 1/4 cup of liquid at a time, stirring before adding more. Avoid causing drastic temperature changes to the sauce. There are many options for the liquid in this step, depending on the dish you're preparing. Typically, brown sauce uses beef-flavored liquid (to give the sauce color), such as beef bouillon cubes and beef broth. Other options include:

• 2 cups of beef stock
• 1 can of concentrated beef broth
• You can also mix in a little milk or water for a lighter sauce while keeping the ratio (still using 2 cups of liquid).

Reduce the heat once the mixture begins to boil and simmer until it reaches your desired thickness. As soon as the sauce starts boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.

• The sauce will also thicken slightly as it cools. It's best to remove the pot from the heat 1-2 minutes before the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Season the sauce according to your taste. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and other seasonings while the mixture is simmering. Adding 1/2 teaspoon of spice mix and a splash of Kitchen Bouquet for color is a great way to create the classic sauce flavor. Other options include:

• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and/or onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and fresh rosemary
• A dash of Worcestershire sauce.

Use the sauce while it is still warm. You can either drizzle the sauce directly over the slices of meat before serving, or pour it into a small dish to place on the table, allowing guests to add it to their dishes themselves.

Measure the ingredients once the meat has finished cooking. The best sauces are typically made from the meat drippings—those juices and fats released during the roasting process. Whether from beef, chicken, or turkey, once the meat is nearly done, gather the other ingredients and prepare them for the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch
• 2 cups of warmed liquid (chicken/beef/vegetable broth, water, or milk)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the meat from the oven and set it aside. All roasted meats need to "rest" for 5-10 minutes before slicing; this gives you some time to prepare the sauce. Cover the meat loosely with aluminum foil and place it on a cutting board while you work on the drippings.

Strain the fat from the meat drippings. Use a fine mesh sieve to separate the fat from the drippings, retaining both. The fat acts like butter in a basic sauce, mixed with flour to create a roux.

• If you want to make the sauce faster, you can skip this step and just heat 2 tablespoons of the drippings. However, bits of fat can make the sauce less smooth and might even diminish its flavor.

Heat the fat on the stove over medium heat. The fat might still be warm, but this step is necessary if you're transferring the drippings to a separate dish. Alternatively, you can cook the sauce directly in the roasting pan. Simply place the metal pan on the stove, add the fat, and heat it up.

Dissolve the fat in the pan with a bit of cold liquid and whisk it. Use some red wine, water, or broth to scrape off the brown bits and drippings from the roasting pan. As soon as you add the liquid, you'll hear it sizzle, so whisk quickly with a hand whisk or a dough scraper to loosen any stubborn bits stuck at the bottom of the pan.

• Dissolving the fat means using cold liquid to clean the hot pan, dissolving the clumps of seasoning and incorporating them into the sauce.

Gradually stir in 2 tablespoons of flour, adding one tablespoon at a time. With one hand, slowly add the flour while using the other hand to mix it in with a whisk. You need to form a smooth, thick sauce. Keep stirring until there are no more lumps of flour.

Slowly pour in 2 cups of warmed liquid into the mixture and stir well. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the liquid gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time. Stir well, dissolving any clumps, and then continue adding the liquid. Start with the strained meat drippings, then switch to other liquids if you don’t have enough drippings. Usually, broth or stock from chicken, beef, or vegetables is used, but for a richer sauce, you can use milk or cream for a more intense flavor. You can even combine them, using one cup of each. Regardless of the liquid type, always warm it in a separate pan or microwave beforehand.

• If the drippings seem a bit too thin, add a tablespoon of butter or fat along with a bit of flour and stir well.

Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until it reaches the desired thickness. Stir occasionally, letting the sauce gently simmer and thicken. Keep in mind that sauces tend to thicken more as they cool, so you should remove the pot from the heat 1-2 minutes before reaching the desired consistency.

Season the sauce once it thickens. Since it is made from meat stock, this brown sauce will have a flavor similar to the roasted meat from which the stock is derived. You can also add a bit of a similar spice mix to enhance the flavor, or experiment with various other spices, such as:

• 1 teaspoon of fresh herbs like thyme, sage, mint, rosemary, parsley, or chives.
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, bell pepper powder, ground chili, dry mustard powder, onion powder, and/or garlic powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon of Kitchen Bouquet or Worcestershire sauce to give the sauce a deep brown color.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Strain the sauce before serving. Although it's not absolutely necessary, you can strain the sauce through a sieve before serving to remove any lumps and bits of meat. Simply pour the meat liquid through a sieve placed over a metal bowl, then stir with a wooden spoon to let the liquid flow into the bowl. This method will give you a smooth sauce like those served in restaurants.

Serve the sauce while it's still warm. Turn down the heat and cover the sauce if you need to prepare the rest of the meal, then pour the sauce into a separate bowl or directly drizzle it over the meat. Once the sauce cools, it will thicken and congeal, which is usually less appetizing.

• Small skillet
• Wooden spoon for stirring
• Bowl
• Sauce strainer