Ingredients

• 1 pound
  meat (or poultry trimmings, depending on the type of roast you are serving, cut into about 3/4-inch cubes)
• 1 1 kg
  onion (quartered)
• 1 small
  carrot (peeled and sliced)
• 4 cups
  broth (preferably the same meat or poultry you are serving)

Cooking Directions

1. Put the meat trimmings, onion, and carrot in a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet or other shallow pan and slide it into a 450°F oven - there's no need for preheating - for about 30 minutes or until the meat is well browned and a crust has formed on the bottom of the pan.

2. Alternatively, place the pan on the stove top over medium-high heat until a caramelized crust forms on the bottom of the pan. Pour off and discard any fat floating on top of the crust.

3. Add about 1 cup ot broth to the pan, put the pan back on the burner, and as the broth is boiling down scrape against the crust with a wooden spoon to dissolve it. Repeat this process as needed until only 1 cup or so of broth remains. Use this remaining cup to deglaze for the final time. Scrape the pan of broth over the heat just long enough to dissolve the crust. (Don't simmer for more than a minute or two, or the jus will lose vitality and end up tasting like concentrated broth.) Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the caramelized vegetables and bits, cool, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Additional Info