Cheap, Clear Gravy-soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the glaze
Select a small, tender shin or leg of beef.
Pour 1-2 ladlefuls of pale, strong beef broth into a pot with the beef.
Boil briskly until the liquid is well reduced.
Insert a knife into the meat to let the juices escape.
Reduce to a glaze
As the liquid thickens, reduce the heat and stir frequently to prevent burning.
Allow the liquid to reach a dark amber color.
Pour in more boiling broth and remove the pot from heat for a few minutes.
Shake the pot to mix the glaze before returning it to the heat.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Shin or leg of beef
- Releases gelatin and juices that concentrate into the rich, sticky glaze.
- Pale, strong beef broth
- Provides the liquid that reduces slowly into a concentrated, savoury glaze.
The step that matters
Reducing the liquid while stirring frequently. As the liquid thickens, its sugars and proteins can scorch on the bottom of the pot, giving bitter flavours and a burnt colour. Lowering the heat and stirring slows browning so the liquid turns dark amber rather than burnt.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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