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 & peeled

4-5 lbs. oxtails, beef shanks or beef back ribs

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Salt & pepper

24 cups water

FOR THE GRAVY:

1/2 cup reserved fat from beef stock (use 1/4 cup for thinner gravy)

1/2 cup flour (use 1/4 cup for thinner gravy)

4 cups beef stock

2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Place the diced veggies and ox tails, beef shanks (cut into large pieces) or beef back ribs 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 1 1/2 (until browned), turning the meat over once halfway through cooking time.

4. Add 24 cups of water to the pan and continue roasting for another hour. 

5. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 1-2 hours. If not using within 1-2 hours, place the pan in the frig, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. 

6. Pour the mixture from the pan through a strainer into a large bowl. Skim off the fat from the stock (you can also use a gravy separator). Pour the fat into a measuring cup to measure.

FOR THE GRAVY: I like to make enough gravy for meal/occasion and freeze any remaining beef stock (portioned out in 2 to 4 cup increments) for later use. 

For 4 Cups of Gravy: 

Place 1/2 cup of reserved fat from the stock in a medium pan or in the roasting pan and heat over medium heat; once the fat starts to sizzle, stir in 1/2 cup of flour and whisk constantly for about 3-5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. 

Add 4 cups of the reserved strained stock and continue whisking constantly until the mixture thickens to the desired consistency. Turn off heat and season with 2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. 

Great served with steak, prime rib, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and so much more!

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

Place the diced veggies into a roasting pan

Beef shanks.

You can also use beef back ribs.

Place the beef shanks in the roasting pan. Toss with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper.

Using beef back ribs here.

This, after roasting for 1 1/2 hours, adding 24 cups of water, then roasting another hour.

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 1/2 cup fat and 1/2 cup flour). Decrease the amount of flour if you want a thinner gravy. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 3-5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add 4 cups of the reserved stock and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened. Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.