Roasted Beef Gravy

Roasting bone-in meat with root vegetables is the best way to make amazing gravy. This is my version for the prime rib roast I made for New Year's Eve 2020, which I can't wait to put behind us! God bless America, the World & FU to Covid-19! 

Ingredients:

1 onion, cut into large dice

3 carrots, cut into large dice

2 ribs of celery, cut into large dice

5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2-3 lbs. oxtails or beef shanks

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Salt & pepper

12 cups water

1/2 to 1 cup flour (plus equal portions of reserved fat from the gravy stock)

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Place the diced veggies and ox tails or beef shanks (cut into large pieces) into a roasting pan. Toss with 1 tbsp. vegetable oil and a liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper.

3. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 2 hours or more (until browned), turning occasionally.

4. Add 12 cups of water to the pan and continue roasting for another hour. 

5. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. Strain the juices into a bowl and set aside.  

6. Skim off the fat from the stock (you can also use a gravy separator). Pour the fat into a measuring cup to measure. Add the fat to the roasting pan placed over a stovetop burner and turn heat up to medium. Once the fat starts to sizzle, stir in an equal amount of flour (use less for a thinner gravy) and whisk constantly for about five minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

7. Add the reserved strained stock and continue whisking constantly until the mixture thickens to the desired consistency. Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper. Great served with steak, prime rib, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and so much more!

The gravy can be frozen in Ziplock-type containers or bags; just reheat on the stovetop or microwave.

Place the dice veggies into a roasting pan

2 lbs. beef shank (you can also use oxtails).

Place the beef shank (cut into 2-3" pieces) in the roasting pan. Toss with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper.

This, after roasting for 2 hours, adding 12 cups of water, then roasting another hour.

Stock strained.

Strained stock. Separate the fat from the stock with a ladle or gravy separator.

Add the fat reserved from the strained stock into the roasting pan, turn heat up to medium, then whisk in an equal amount of flour (here I used 3/4 cup fat and 3/4 cup flour). Decrease the amount of flour if you want a thinner gravy. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes to cook out he raw flour taste.

Add the reserved stock and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened. Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.