Best Red Wine Jus Recipe for Beef or Lamb | Red Wine Gravy
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This red wine jus recipe combines Cabernet Sauvignon, ruby port and beef stock with the juices from your roast. Shallot, garlic and bay leaves add savory flavor to a sauce with enough richness for beef or lamb.
You can prepare the wine reduction ahead, then finish it in the roasting pan while the meat rests. It’s a good choice for a holiday roast or a Sunday lunch when you want something a little more special than everyday gravy.
Red Wine Jus at a Glance
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: About 1 hour or longer, depending on reduction
Servings: 8
Yield: About 2 cups of reduction, plus roast juices
Main ingredients: Red wine, ruby port, beef stock and roast drippings
Make ahead: Refrigerate the strained reduction for up to 2 days
What Is Red Wine Jus?
Jus is a sauce based on meat juices. Here, a wine and stock reduction is finished with roast drippings and the browned bits from the pan. Unlike a flour-thickened gravy, it thickens through reduction, so expect a pourable sauce rather than a thick gravy.
Why You’ll Love It
- Rich red wine flavor: Cabernet Sauvignon and port give the sauce depth and a little sweetness.
- Prepare part ahead: The reduction can be ready before you start the roast.
- No flour or cornstarch: Evaporation concentrates the sauce.
- Good with beef or lamb: Finish it with the juices from whichever roast you’re cooking.
Red Wine Jus Ingredients
The complete ingredients list and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Cabernet Sauvignon: Choose a dry wine you enjoy drinking. It doesn’t need to be expensive; avoid a wine that tastes unpleasant on its own.
- Ruby port: This adds sweetness and richness. It isn’t interchangeable with another 2 cups of dry wine without changing the flavor.
- Beef stock: Low-sodium stock gives you more control over seasoning as the liquid reduces.
- Shallot, garlic and bay leaves: These flavor the reduction and are strained out before serving.
- Roast drippings: Reserve the meat juices and skim off excess fat. A jug full of fat isn’t the same as the juices you want in the sauce.
How to Make Red Wine Jus
The full instructions with weights and measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Reduce: Simmer the wine, port, stock and aromatics uncovered until you have 2 cups of liquid.
- Strain: Remove the shallot, garlic and bay leaves.
- Finish: Deglaze the roasting pan with some reduction, then add the rest and the skimmed meat juices.
- Season: Taste the finished sauce before adding salt and black pepper.
Equipment
- Wide, heavy pot: Use at least a 4-quart capacity so the wine, port and stock have room to simmer.
- Liquid measuring cup: Measure the reduction to check the 2-cup target.
- Measuring spoons: For any seasoning you add.
- Chef’s knife: Prepare the shallot and garlic.
- Cutting board: For preparing the aromatics.
You’ll also need a fine-mesh strainer, a heatproof jug and a spoon for skimming fat. Only set a roasting pan on the stovetop if its manufacturer says it’s safe to do so.
Tips for the Best Red Wine Jus
- Measure the reduction: A wide pan reduces liquid faster than a narrow one. The 2-cup target matters more than an exact cooking time.
- Watch near the end: Lower the heat if necessary so the concentrated sauce doesn’t scorch.
- Keep the browned bits: Deglazing dissolves the flavorful residue from roasting. Leave burned, blackened bits out.
- Adjust gradually: If the finished sauce tastes too concentrated, add a little unsalted stock or water and taste again.
Substitutions and Variations
- Different dry red wine: Merlot can replace Cabernet Sauvignon if that’s what you have.
- No roast drippings: Serve the strained reduction as a red wine sauce. It will have a different flavor from a jus finished with roast juices.
- Gluten-free: Check the stock and every packaged ingredient for gluten.
- Dairy-free: There’s no butter or cream in the ingredient list; check your stock and how the roast was prepared.
Serving Suggestions
Spoon the jus over roast beef or lamb and serve with crispy roasted potatoes with garlic. Caramelized carrots are another good side for a roast dinner.
How to Store Red Wine Jus
- Refrigerate: Cool promptly and refrigerate covered; eat within 3 to 4 days. Count from when the roast drippings were cooked.
- Freeze: Freeze in small portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Heat in a saucepan, stirring, until boiling. Add a little water if it has thickened too much.
Red Wine Jus FAQs
It may need more reduction. Check that the wine mixture measures 2 cups before adding the meat juices, then simmer a little longer if necessary. This sauce is thinner than a flour-thickened gravy.
Yes. You can serve the strained wine and stock reduction as a sauce, although it won’t have the flavor of roast drippings or deglazed pan juices.
Cooking reduces the alcohol content but doesn’t guarantee that all of it disappears. Choose a different sauce if you need to avoid alcohol completely.
Best Red Wine Jus Recipe for Beef or Lamb
Ingredients
- 1500 ml Cabernet Sauvignon (two 750ml bottles)
- 4 cups beef stock or broth (about 1 liter; preferably low-sodium)
- 2 cups ruby port (about 500ml)
- 1 large shallot (quartered)
- 3 large garlic cloves (peeled and halved)
- 2 bay leaves
- Beef or lamb roast drippings (separated from excess fat)
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Method
- Combine the wine, port, beef stock, garlic, bay leaves and shallot in a wide saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady, uncovered simmer. Cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour or longer depending on the pan and heat. Measure the liquid to check the reduction rather than relying on the clock.
- Strain into a heatproof jug, discarding the bay leaves, garlic and shallot. If preparing ahead, cool promptly and refrigerate covered for up to 2 days.
- After roasting your beef or lamb, transfer the meat to a board to rest. Pour the pan juices into a heatproof jug or fat separator. Let the fat rise, then skim it off, reserving the meat juices. Leave the browned bits in the roasting pan; discard any burned bits.
- If your roasting pan is stovetop-safe, set it over medium heat. Add a little of the wine reduction and scrape up the browned bits. Otherwise, loosen the browned bits with a little hot reduction and transfer the liquid to a saucepan.
- Add the remaining wine reduction and reserved meat juices. Simmer until hot, then taste before adding salt and black pepper. If you prefer a smoother sauce, strain again.
- Serve hot in a gravy boat. The wine reduction makes about 2 cups before adding the meat juices, enough for 8 servings of about ¼ cup plus drippings.
Notes
More Recipes for a Roast Dinner
- Braised lamb shanks in red wine sauce are a different way to enjoy lamb with wine.
- Creamed spinach is a creamy vegetable side for beef.
