Classic French Bordelaise Sauce

Ingredients

• 20 lb Beef shanks (roasted until golden)
• 3 Carrots (mirepoix, finely diced (brunoise))
• 3 Celery stalks (mirepoix, finely diced (brunoise))
• 2 Onions (mirepoix, finely diced (brunoise))
• 1 tbsp Beef tallow (a knob for browning)
• 2 lb Beef flank (for additional stock depth)
• 1 bunch Fresh thyme
• 5 cloves Garlic (whole)
• 1 bottle Red wine (for stock; plus more for sauce reduction)
• Water (to top off stock pot)
• 1 bunch Fresh parsley (added at the end of simmering)
• 1 Lemon (peel only)
• 2 Shallots (finely diced)
• 4 oz Bone marrow (blanched and diced into cubes)
• 4 tbsp Butter (divided; for sautéing and finishing)
• 1 cup Bordeaux wine (for the final sauce reduction)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange 20 pounds of beef shanks on sheet pans and roast until they are deeply golden brown. Scrape all the browned bits and juices from the pans.

2. 2

   Prepare the mirepoix by dicing carrots, celery, and onions. The creator uses a fine brunoise for knife practice, but a standard dice is sufficient.

3. 3

   In a very large stock pot, melt a knob of beef tallow over medium-high heat. Brown two pounds of beef flank until well-seared.

4. 4

   Add the mirepoix, fresh thyme, and whole garlic cloves to the pot with the beef flank.

5. 5

   Add the roasted beef shanks and any juices from the sheet pans. Pour in red wine and top off the pot with water until everything is submerged.

6. 6

   Place a cartouche (parchment paper lid) on top if desired. Bring to a bare simmer and cook for 12 hours.

7. 7

   After 12 hours, turn off the heat. Add a bunch of parsley and a lemon peel. Let steep briefly, then strain out all solids through a fine-mesh sieve.

8. 8

   Partially cover the strained liquid and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove and discard the solidified layer of fat from the top.

9. 9

   Bring the stock to a boil and reduce it over medium heat for several hours until it reaches a syrupy, condensed consistency (beef jus).

10. 10

    To make the Bordelaise: Blanch the bone marrow in boiling water, then dice into small cubes. Set aside.

11. 11

    In a saucepan, sauté two finely diced shallots in butter until translucent.

12. 12

    Add Bordeaux wine to the shallots and flambé. Add more fresh herbs and reduce the liquid until it is nearly gone (au sec).

13. 13

    Add the prepared beef jus to the wine reduction. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the shallots and herbs.

14. 14

    Whisk in cold butter and the diced bone marrow until the sauce is glossy and emulsified.

Notes

This recipe makes a large quantity of beef stock/jus which can be frozen. You can halve the stock recipe if you don't have a large enough pot. The quality of the sauce depends heavily on the reduction of the stock into a 'beef essence'.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• sauce
• French
• beef
• fine dining
• slow-cooked
• bone marrow