thefoodlessprocessed

Sauce Espagnole is one of the basic French Brown Sauces, with a dense, concentrated roasted beef flavour. It is not labour intensive, but is best begun the day before and finished over several hours on the day of serving

Here are links to the less processed ingredient options: Beef, Butter, Flour, Vegetable Stock, Tomato Paste.

Equipment

• a Large Heavy Pan with High Sides and a Lid. This recipe uses a 12-inch (30.5 cm) Cast Iron Chicken Fryer with a 4.25 quart capacity (about 4 liters) and a black interior. A close European equivalent is a Sauteuse Haute, which has high sides and a long handle. It is deeper than a regular sauté pan.
• a Large Bowl and a Large Mesh Strainer that will fit over the top of it
• a Medium-Sized Pot with a Heavy Bottom and a Lid
• a Flame Tamer (aka Heat Diffuser, Simmering Plate) is optional. The pot does not sit directly over the heat source. and the sauce is less likely to scorch during its long periods of simmering. Some brands may be used on smooth-top burners.

Ingredients

• About 4 cups of Organic, Grass-Fed Beef Trimmings. Grass-fed beef has a more distinctive flavour than grain-fed beef. The trimmings are fat and attached bits of lean trimmed from steaks or other cuts. Instead of throwing them away, they are frozen and later thawed and included in recipes such as this one. Fill the measuring cup with the trimmings but do not pack them down. The 4-cup measure is a general idea of the amount used.
• 1/2 cup of Salted Butter
• 1/2 cup of European Unenriched All-Purpose White Flour
• About 1 cup of Vegetable Trimmings. These are bits of vegetable that would normally be discarded, but instead are collected and frozen for use in stock, soups, or sauces. The skins of yellow onions, pieces of tomato, and the skins and pieces of mushroom are especially good for this purpose.
• 8 cups of Homemade Vegetable Stock. Here is thefoodlessprocessed recipe: Vegetable Stock.
• 2 Tablespoons of Imported Italian Tomato Paste

Making the Sauce: Day 1

• Heat the butter in the large pan.
• Add the meat trimmings and brown them a little.
• Add the flour and stir to coat the trimmings. Continue browning the trimmings until they are a deep chestnut color.
• Add 6 cups of stock and the vegetable trimmings and stir to combine.
• Simmer on the flame tamer over low heat, partially covered, to reduce and thicken for about 2 hours.

• Place the strainer over the large bowl and transfer the trimmings and sauce to it. Press down on the trimmings, then gradually pour an additional 2 cups of stock over them to help the sauce pass through. There will be about 1 liter (about 4 and 1/2 cups).

• Refrigerate the sauce over night.

Finishing the Sauce: Day 2

• In the photo above, the liquid fat is visible on the surface. By morning, the fat will have formed a solid layer on top of the sauce. Remove and discard it.
• Pour the sauce into the medium-sized pot. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
• Place the pot on the flame tamer and simmer the sauce over low heat, partially covered, to reduce and thicken it.
• As the sauce reduces, a thin film may form on the surface. Stir it back into the sauce before it thickens. This is a concentration of proteins and starches.
• Reduce the sauce to about 2 cups.

Complimentary Combinations

Finnish Venison Meat Pie

Sauce Espagnole