A spoonful of jus can finish a dish. With a piece of meat, over mashed potatoes or alongside roasted vegetables: a good jus brings flavours together and gives a plate just a little more depth.
But what is jus, really? Why does one recipe call for a knob of butter and another for a kilo of bones? And do you really have to sacrifice expensive veal to make a good veal jus at home?
You don’t. With veal bones that still carry some meat, joints, cartilage and a modest amount of sinew you can make a lovely base. Mostly you need time, a roomy pan and attention at a few important moments.
In this article you will read where jus comes from, how it differs from stock and bouillon, and how to make brown veal jus yourself. Step by step, with an explanation of what you see, smell and taste.
What is jus?
The word jus comes from French and means juice. The French word goes back to the Latin jus, which meant, among other things, sauce or cooking liquid.
In the kitchen, jus can mean several things. It can be the liquid released while roasting meat, topped up with water or stock to loosen the browned bits. It can also be a separately made, concentrated meat sauce.
The Dutch gravy served with potatoes and the veal jus in a restaurant are therefore relatives. Their composition and thickness can differ quite a lot.
For the veal jus in this article we first make a brown stock from roasted bones and aromatic vegetables. We strain and degrease it. Then we reduce it until the flavour and texture are right.
Where does jus come from?
Jus is closely tied to roasting meat. Flavourful juices and browned bits are left on the bottom of a roasting pan. Adding liquid loosens them and makes a simple sauce.
In classical French cuisine, working with such juices, broths and stocks was developed further. A good base could be used for various sauces, adapted to the dish on the table.
In Le Guide Culinaire (1903), Auguste Escoffier described a “Fonds, ou Jus de Veau Brun”. For it he used both veal meat and veal bones. Meat and bones were browned beforehand, combined with vegetables and then simmered gently. After straining, the liquid was reduced further as needed.
The recipe below is not a literal version of Escoffier. We choose an affordable home version, without adding separate veal meat. Only the meat that is still on the bones goes in.
Broth, stock, jus and glace: what is the difference?
These terms are not used in exactly the same way everywhere. Still, this breakdown helps to understand recipes better.
| Term | What do we mean by it? | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Broth (bouillon) | A flavourful liquid drawn from, for example, meat, bones and vegetables | Soup, cooking liquid and other preparations |
| Stock (fond) | A base for further preparations, often with more gelatine and usually little or no added salt | Sauces, ragout and stews |
| Jus | Roasting juices or a separately made, concentrated sauce with a meaty flavour | As a sauce with a dish |
| Glace | Very strongly reduced stock | In small amounts as a concentrated flavour base |
You will often come across demi-glace as well. In Escoffier’s classical method it belongs to espagnole sauce. It is therefore historically inaccurate to call every reduced veal stock demi-glace automatically.
Why make jus yourself?
You decide the flavour
A homemade base can be kept mild or concentrated further. You choose how much thyme, tomato and roasted flavour you want. You also add the salt only when the jus is done.
That last point is handy: while reducing, water disappears but salt stays behind. A lightly salted liquid can end up quite salty.
You use parts that otherwise get less attention
Bones, joints and sinews are useful ingredients. They need a different preparation than a steak or schnitzel, but they can contribute a lot to a sauce.
That makes jus a nice way to use more parts of the animal. Do ask about the price beforehand. Bones are not free or cheap everywhere, and the long cooking time also costs energy.
You can build up a supply
For a small amount of jus you are busy for a long time. So rather make one big pan and freeze the unsalted base in portions. A few tablespoons can later be enough to give a sauce or stew more depth.
You learn a technique that comes back often
Browning, loosening the browned bits, gentle simmering, degreasing and reducing: these techniques are also useful for soups, stews and other sauces. Once you understand what is happening, cooking becomes much clearer.
What do bones and sinews do in the pan?
Not every part contributes the same.
| Part | Main contribution |
|---|---|
| Meat scraps on the bones | Meaty flavour and roasted aromas |
| Joints and cartilage | Collagen that turns into gelatine while simmering |
| Sinews and tendons | Extra collagen and therefore possible thickening |
| Marrow bones | Marrow and fat; useful as part of a mix |
| Vegetables and herbs | Background flavours and aroma |
Gelatine gives a warm jus a fuller mouthfeel. In the fridge the liquid can turn into a soft jelly. That is normal.
But gelatine is not the same as meaty flavour. A firm jelly can still taste fairly mild. And a jus with too much gelatine can become unpleasantly sticky when reduced hard.
The choice of bones therefore matters. Ask for a mix with joints and meat scraps. Two kilos of almost bare marrow bones gives a different result than two kilos of varied, meaty veal bones.
What do you ask the butcher?
With this description the butcher knows what you have in mind:
“I want to make a brown veal jus. Do you have about two kilos of sawn veal bones, preferably with joints, cartilage and some meat on them? I would also like some veal sinews or tendons, and not only marrow bones.”
For the recipe below, ask for about 200 grams of sinews or tendons alongside the two kilos of bones. Have the bones sawn into manageable pieces of about five to eight centimetres. You do not need to try that at home.
Order in advance if necessary. Not every butcher stocks veal bones and loose sinews.
How good is jus without separate meat?
You can make a tasty, glossy veal jus this way. Do expect some variation: a mix of bones is not a standardised ingredient. The amount of meat, cartilage and fat differs per order.
A meat-rich restaurant jus can taste more distinctly of roasted meat. That difference does not disappear automatically by cooking longer. That is why in this recipe we go by flavour and mouthfeel, not by a required final volume.
The most important rule: stop reducing when the jus tastes good. Do not wait until it is thicker than pleasant.
Recipe: brown veal jus from bones and sinews
This is a home recipe based on classical stock techniques, adapted for a preparation without added loose meat. The checks in the steps help you allow for differences between ovens, pans and bones.
Yield and planning
- Yield: expected to be about 500–800 ml, but flavour and texture decide the end point.
- Servings: about 12–20 small portions of 30–40 ml, depending on the yield.
- Hands-on time: around 60–90 minutes, plus regular checks.
- Total time: about 9–12 hours spread over two days, plus a night of chilling.
- Difficulty: easy to follow for beginners, but it takes time and attention.
On day 1 you roast the bones, simmer the stock and cool it quickly. On day 2 you remove the set fat and reduce the stock. The cold step in between makes degreasing easier.
Ingredients
The weights of the vegetables are after cleaning.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sawn veal bones with joints, cartilage and meat scraps | 2 kg |
| Veal sinews or tendons | 200 g |
| Onion, peeled | 250 g |
| Carrot, peeled | 150 g |
| Celery, washed | 100 g |
| Garlic, peeled | 2 cloves |
| Tomato purée | 25 g |
| Sunflower oil or other neutral oil | 2 tbsp |
| Thyme | 2 small sprigs |
| Bay leaf | 1 leaf |
| Black peppercorns | 6 |
| Cold drinking water | About 3–4 litres to start, more if needed |
To finish, per 250 ml of jus:
- Fine salt, to taste.
- Optionally 10 g cold unsalted butter.
- Optionally a few drops of red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar.
Do not add salt, stock cubes or gravy powder while simmering. We also use no wine in this base. That keeps the flavour widely usable.
Allergens: the recipe contains celery. If finished with butter, it also contains milk.
Equipment
- A tall pot of about 8–10 litres; take a larger one if the bones take up a lot of room.
- A metal roasting tin and a baking tray or second ovenproof dish.
- A second pan for reducing.
- A coarse strainer or colander and a fine metal sieve.
- Heatproof bowls or pans to catch the stock.
- Tongs, a wooden spatula, a ladle and a skimmer.
- A measuring jug, kitchen scales and a timer.
- Preferably a digital kitchen thermometer.
- Shallow storage containers and ice or cool packs for a cold-water bath.
Day 1: roasting and simmering
Step 1. Get everything ready
Thaw frozen bones and sinews in the fridge beforehand. Follow the butcher’s storage advice.
Preheat the oven to 210 °C conventional or 190 °C fan. Pat the bones dry with kitchen paper. Toss them with one tablespoon of oil and lay them in a single layer in the roasting tin.
Do not overcrowd the tin. Use two tins if needed, so that moisture can evaporate and the surfaces can brown.
Keep the loose sinews covered in the fridge for now. They go straight into the pot later.
Step 2. Roast the bones deep brown
Put the roasting tin in the middle of the oven. Turn the bones with tongs after about 30 minutes.
Roast on and check every 10–15 minutes after that. Allow about 60–90 minutes in total, depending on the bones and your oven.
Look mainly at the meat scraps and the edges. They may be deep golden to chestnut brown. A bare bone does not need to be the same colour all over.
Good: a pleasant smell of roasted meat and clearly browned surfaces.
Still too light: pale or grey meat scraps and little roasted smell. Give the bones more time and check that they have enough room.
Too dark: black crusts, smoke or a sharp burnt smell. Remove burnt loose bits. A burnt taste gets stronger during reduction.
Step 3. Deglaze the roasting tin
Transfer the bones to the large pot. Leave the loose fat in the roasting tin and carefully pour it into a heatproof container. Do not pour fat down the sink.
Add about 250 ml of water to the warm roasting tin. Watch out for steam. Let it soak briefly and scrape the browned bits loose with a wooden spatula. Pour this liquid over the bones.
You do not need to put the tin on a burner for this. Only do so if the manufacturer says the tin is suitable.
Leave black, burnt remains behind. If the loosened liquid smells strongly burnt, do not use it.
Step 4. Add the sinews and water
Add the sinews to the bones. Add cold water until everything is covered by about one to two centimetres. Start with about three litres and add what is needed.
The amount depends on the shape of your pot and how the bones lie in it. They must be submerged, but the pot does not need to be full to the brim. Leave a few centimetres of space.
Heat over medium-high heat. As the water gets hotter, grey-brown scum may appear. Skim it off carefully.
Step 5. Let it simmer gently for six hours
Turn the heat low as soon as the liquid comes close to the boil. From that moment let the stock simmer for about six hours.
With a thermometer, about 90–95 °C is a useful guide. Measure in the liquid without touching the bottom.
Without a thermometer, look at the surface: it moves gently and an occasional bubble appears. The pan should not bubble hard all the time.
Check every 30–45 minutes. Skim off scum and clearly released fat. Add a little water when bones start to lie dry. Stir as little as possible and, if you like, set the lid at an angle on the pot to limit evaporation.
Set a repeating timer. Do not leave the pot unattended or on the stove while you sleep.
Step 6. Roast the vegetables separately
Start this when the stock has simmered for about three hours. That way you can add the vegetables around the fourth hour.
Cut the onion, carrot and celery into pieces of about two centimetres. Toss with the remaining tablespoon of oil and spread over a baking tray or ovenproof dish.
Roast at 200 °C conventional or 180 °C fan for about 30–45 minutes. Turn them halfway. The vegetables should turn golden brown, not black.
Mix in the tomato purée and the lightly crushed garlic cloves. Put back in the oven for about five minutes. Check in between: the purée may turn a darker red, but must not burn.
Add the vegetables to the stock and let them simmer along for the last two hours or so. Any browned bits from the vegetable tray can be loosened with a little water and added.
Step 7. Add the herbs late
Add the thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns during the last 45 minutes. That way they stay background flavours.
You are not making herb tea or tomato sauce. The veal base should stay recognisable.
Step 8. Strain the stock
First put a heatproof bowl or pan down firmly and place the colander on top. Check where the liquid will end up before you start.
Lift the large bones out of the pot with tongs. Then pour the remaining contents and liquid through the colander. That way you do not have to lift a heavy, full pot of hot liquid.
Let it drain quietly. Then strain the collected stock through a fine sieve. Do not press the vegetables through the sieve into a purée.
The liquid may still taste fairly mild and thin now. That is logical: the concentration comes later.
Step 9. Cool quickly
Divide the stock over shallow, heatproof containers. Preferably keep the layer no more than about five centimetres deep.
Put the containers in cold water with ice or cool packs. Do not let any cooling water get into the stock. Stir the stock now and then with a clean spoon and change the water when it warms up.
Put the cooled stock covered in the fridge at 4 °C, within two hours of finishing the preparation. Do not leave a big pan on the counter overnight.
Day 2: degreasing and reducing
Step 10. Remove the set fat
On the cold stock there may be a white or yellowish layer. That is fat. Lift it off carefully.
The brown layer underneath may be jelly-like. That is the stock with gelatine; that is what you want to keep.
Is the stock still liquid? That does not automatically mean it has failed. The amount of gelatine and water can differ.
Step 11. Reduce the stock under control
Put the degreased stock in a clean pan and heat until it is fully liquid. Then let it boil evenly without a lid.
In this step it may boil more visibly than while simmering. After all, you have already removed the solid ingredients and most of the fat.
Check every 10–15 minutes. Turn the heat lower as soon as the liquid becomes more concentrated. Stay with it towards the end.
Depending on the amount of stock and the width of your pan, this takes about one to three hours. It can be shorter or longer.
From about 800 ml, start assessing clearly whether the jus is done. Use a measuring jug if you find it hard to judge the volume.
Always taste a small amount that you first let cool on a spoon. Do not taste straight from the boiling pan.
Step 12. Judge flavour and texture
The jus is done when it tastes pleasantly savoury, flows smoothly and leaves a thin layer on the back of a spoon.
It does not need to be thick like a packet gravy. A slight stickiness on the lips can be pleasant; a glue-like mouthfeel is a sign to stop and, if needed, to dilute.
Still thin and weak in flavour? Reduce a little further.
Good flavour and still fairly liquid? You can use it as it is. Thickness is not a goal in itself.
Already quite sticky but little meaty flavour? Stop reducing. The base then contains relatively a lot of gelatine compared with flavour. Reducing further does not fix that well.
Too strong or too sticky? Add a tablespoon of hot water at a time and taste again.
Step 13. Finish only the portion you need
Preferably keep the supply unsalted and without butter. Take the amount you want before serving.
For example, heat 250 ml of jus. Add a small pinch of salt, stir and taste a slightly cooled spoonful. Repeat if needed.
For extra gloss you can take the pan off the heat and whisk in 10 grams of cold unsalted butter in small cubes. Do not boil hard afterwards.
Does the jus taste a bit heavy or flat? First test one drop of vinegar in a tablespoon of jus in a separate bowl. If you like it, add a few drops to the pan. The jus should not become recognisably sour.
Serve on warm plates. With a concentrated jus, allow about two tablespoons per person and adjust to the dish.
What do you use veal jus for?
With fried and roasted meat
Veal jus goes with veal, pork tenderloin, steak and roast meat. Use a small amount so that the dish does not disappear under the sauce.
Just fried some meat? Pour excess fat out of the pan and loosen the browned bits with a splash of water. Add some veal jus and taste again. Browned bits from salted meat can make the sauce saltier.
With potatoes and vegetables
A small spoonful gives mashed potatoes, roasted carrot, celeriac and fried mushrooms extra depth.
A vegetable dish with veal jus is of course not vegetarian.
As a base for another sauce
Use a portion for peppercorn cream sauce, mushroom sauce or a sauce with red wine or madeira. Add such flavourings to a small portion rather than to the whole supply.
For a simple red wine jus you can gently fry a finely chopped shallot, add 100 ml of red wine and reduce to a thin layer. Then add 250 ml of veal jus, heat and taste. Only reduce further if flavour and texture need it.
In a stew
A few tablespoons of concentrated jus can make a stew fuller. Start with a little and taste: with longer stewing the sauce can concentrate further.
Storing jus: how to do it safely
In the fridge
After preparing, cool the jus quickly in shallow containers and a cold-water bath. Put it covered in the fridge at 4 °C within two hours.
Keep prepared jus for at most two days in the fridge. With a preparation spread over several days, the storage time of the stock counts too. Boiling again does not automatically reset that period to zero.
Do you know you will not use some of it soon? Freeze it straight after cooling.
In the freezer
Freeze the unsalted jus in small portions and allow at most three months for good quality. Write the date and contents on the packaging.
An ice cube tray is handy, but measure one compartment with water first. Not every tray makes cubes of the same size. Once the jus is frozen, you can keep the cubes in a sealed freezer container or bag.
Thawing and reheating
Thaw in the fridge or heat a small frozen portion straight in a small pan. Add a small splash of water if needed to prevent sticking.
Heat right through until piping hot. Add any finishing butter afterwards, off the heat.
Only reheat what you need. Do not store leftovers of an already reheated portion again for next time.
Can you tell by the smell whether jus is safe?
A sour or rancid smell, mould or an odd appearance is a reason to throw the jus away. Do not taste suspicious jus.
But smelling normal does not prove that something is safe. The way of cooling, storage time and temperature remain decisive.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
| Problem | Possible cause | What can you do? |
|---|---|---|
| Little roasted flavour | Bones roasted too pale or hardly any meat scraps | Roast carefully; next time ask for a better mixed package |
| Bitter, burnt taste | Black browned bits or burnt vegetables | A strongly burnt base cannot be rescued |
| Greasy mouthfeel | Not degreased enough | Let it get cold and remove the set layer of fat |
| Cloudy jus | A lot of movement while simmering or fine particles | Degrease and strain finely; cloudiness does not automatically make it unusable |
| Too thick, sticky jus | Reduced too far | Dilute little by little with hot water |
| Too salty | Salted too early or too generously | Dilute with unsalted stock or water and do not reduce back to the same concentration |
| Mostly vegetable or tomato flavour | The base has little meaty flavour or the balance is off | Reducing further strengthens those flavours too; use it as a milder base |
Frequently asked questions about veal jus
Do I need to blanch the bones first?
For this brown stock we roast the bones directly. Blanching is used, among other things, for white stocks. It is not a required extra step in this recipe.
Do the sinews need to go in the oven too?
No. They go straight into the pot here. Their main job is to provide gelatine, and for that they do not need to be roasted. Thin sinews can also dry out and burn easily.
Can I make it without loose sinews?
Yes, if the bone mix contains enough joints and cartilage. Otherwise the thickening may fall short. Judge the warm jus and do not keep reducing solely to reach a certain thickness.
Why do we use no wine in the base?
Because a neutral supply is usable for more dishes. You can add red wine, madeira or port later to a separate sauce preparation.
Is longer simmering always better?
No. Longer is no guarantee of more quality. The composition of the bones, their size, the temperature and the amount of water all have an influence. Six hours is a practical simmering time here, not a universal law of nature.
Can I make the stock and jus on the same day?
Yes. Strain the stock, remove as much fat as possible from the surface and then reduce. The cold step in between only makes thorough degreasing easier. Even with a one-day preparation, make sure you keep enough time to cool any supply quickly.
Is thickening with starch wrong?
No. It gives a different texture and needs a different dose. Escoffier himself described a jus de veau lié with arrowroot. In this recipe we start with the thickening that comes from the ingredients. A mild jus does not need to become thick to be usable.
Is homemade jus automatically healthier?
No. You have control over salt and added ingredients, but that does not make every homemade jus automatically healthier. We make it mainly for the flavour and the possibilities in the kitchen.
Can I simmer the used bones again?
You can, but a second simmering is usually less powerful. It is not necessary for this recipe.
Remember this
A good veal jus starts with what is in your roasting tin. Choose varied bones with meat scraps, roast them carefully and avoid burning. Let the base simmer gently, remove the fat and only then concentrate.
Taste while reducing. A recipe can give a time and an expected yield, but your pan and your ingredients decide when the jus is good.
With a few small portions in the freezer you then have something valuable to hand: a homemade base that gives a simple dish more flavour quickly.
Sources and background
- Dictionnaire de l’Académie française: jus: meaning and etymology.
- Auguste Escoffier, Le Guide Culinaire, 1903, page 8: brown veal stock.
- Auguste Escoffier, Le Guide Culinaire, 1903, page 17: jus de veau lié and demi-glace.
- Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking: The Choice of Ingredients: the contribution of meat, bones and connective tissue.
- Great British Chefs: How to Make Brown Veal Stock: brown veal stock and basic techniques.
- Michelin Guide: Emmanuel Stroobant’s Veal Stock: professional stock preparation.
- Voedingscentrum: jus, bereid: storage times (Dutch).
- Voedingscentrum: 5x veilig met kliekjes: cooling, storing and reheating (Dutch).
This recipe is our own home adaptation based on these techniques, not a literal reproduction of any of the recipes mentioned.