Easy Demi-Glace

One recipe that I’ve wanted to make for ages, and since doing so has completely transformed my home cooking is Demi-Glace. This simple, yet delicious ingredient is the cornerstone of so many amazing sauces that you would typically enjoy at a fancy restaurant. Demi-Glace is a concentrated Beef Stock that is packed full of flavor. Used as a base for many amazing sauces, (such as a classic Bordelaise Red Wine Sauce) it’s so delicious. In this recipe we’ll show you how to make an Easy Demi-Glace recipe from scratch at home

How to make an Easy Demi-Glace at home

For our recipe you simply need to prepare some Beef Stock and then reduce it over the stovetop. That’s literally all you need to do. Now, in theory, that’s a very simple process, but getting the best result has a few little techniques that will make so much difference to the final product

The key to the best quality Demi-Glace is making the best quality Beef Stock you can. This all comes down to the richness and amount of gelatinous Beef flavor you can infuse into a Stock. I have found that the more concentrated you can make the Stock, the better flavor you’ll get from it. Which makes sense, the more Beef that’s added to the Stock, the Beefier the flavor!

Get into a habit of storing Beef Bones from meals in the freezer

Cooked up our delicious Porterhouse Steak recipe (you should, trust us!)? Then don’t throw that delicious T-bone out but store it in the freezer. In fact, any Bones you have left over from Beef Dishes we recommend storing in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Once you’ve amassed a decent amount (enough to load up a large Saucepan or Instant Pot), then you can turn it into Stock

If you’re in a pinch and want to make some Beef Stock from scratch, but don’t have any leftover Bones in the freezer, no problems at all. Simply head out to your local Butcher and ask them what leftover Bones they’ve got lying around. They’ll have loads and will sell it to you cheap. They used to just give them away, but I feel those days are long gone as the demand for homemade Stock has increased so much recently

Roast the Bones before you add them to the Stock

The key to getting a great Beef Flavor in the Stock is to ensure you’ve roasted the Bones before they go into the stock pot. If you’re using previously cooked Beef Bones that you’ve stored in the freezer there’s no need to roast them (as they’ve already been cooked). However, for any store bought Beef Bones, roasting them in essential

Simply place the Bones on a large sheet pan and roast them in the oven until beautiful and caramelized. I like to roast them at around 400F for about 20 minutes. Just check them periodically for color. Once they turn a brilliant caramelized brown color, they’re ready

You can also add a few additional Vegetables into the pan. A typical Beef Stock includes Onions, Carrots, and Celery. I wouldn’t recommend roasting the Celery (it can just go into the Stock Pot raw), but I would recommend roasting Carrots and Onions with the Beef

They’ll also caramelize, and those wonderful, natural sweet flavors from the Vegetables will be so pronounced. You can leave the skins on too, just slice the Veggies in half and get them nice and caramelized along with the Bones. Once done, you’re ready to make the Stock!

Making the Stock

The simplest way to make Beef Stock is to pile your roasted Beef Bones into a large pot along with the Vegetables and place it on the stovetop. Fill the Pot with just enough Water to cover everything (try to pack it down as much as you can) and then bring the liquid to a boil

Cover the Pot and give everything a good boil for about 2 hours. After 2 hours the beautiful collagen and fat from the Bones will have all been rendered away. Remove the lid and give it another 30 minutes on the stovetop

Remove the Bones and then strain the liquid through a fine sieve. At this point you’ve prepared some beautiful Beef Stock that can be used in so many dishes. The process of turning this Stock into Demi-Glace requires the liquid going back into a Pot or Saucepan and reducing even further

Turning Beef Stock into Demi-Glace

Place the pot filled with Beef Stock back on the stovetop and bring the liquid to a boil. You will want to reduce the liquid by about ¾ in quantity to turn it into Demi-Glace. It’s kind of hard to determine exactly when it’s done, but the best way to tell is by tasting it

The Demi-Glace will have a viscous, luscious feel to it and will naturally taste very concentrated and beefy. It will also take on a shiny appearance along with its dark golden-brown color. At this point its done! You can use this Demi-Glace immediately for sauces and other fun recipes. Otherwise, freeze what you don’t need so it can be used whenever you like

Another more classic Demi-Glace recipe includes Espagnole Sauce

For our Easy Demi-Glace recipe, we’re only requiring you to reduce good quality Beef Stock. The classic way to prepare Demi-Glace, however, is to combine the reduced Beef Stock with Espagnole Sauce. Espagnole Sauce is basically a roux that’s made with Flour and Butter, along with a load of other flavorful ingredients like Bacon and Vegetables

Beef Stock is then added to the Roux, and it’s all cooked down until a rich, luxurious flavor develops. The good news for you all is we’ve got a beautiful recipe for Espagnole Sauce here that will show you how to make this wonderful mother sauce

To make a classic Demi-Glace using Espagnole Sauce, simply prepare your Beef Stock as mentioned above and then add it to the Espagnole Sauce Roux. Cook it all down until smooth and luxurious and you’ve got a Classic Demi-Glace! It does take a little more time and requires more techniques. Both taste great, but we’ve found our Easy Demi-Glace recipe works just as well for home cooking

Easy Demi-Glace Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Beef Bones
• 1 Onion, halved
• 1 Carrot, halved
• 4 Celery Stalks (including leaves)
• Water
  
  

Instructions

1. Scatter the Beef Bones, Onion, and Carrot on a large sheet pan and then roast in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes, or until the Bones have Roasted and turned golden-brown
2. Remove from Oven and place Bones, Onion, and Carrot in a large Pot on the stovetop. Add the Celery and fill up with enough water to just cover
3. Bring the liquid to a Boil then drop the heat slightly (medium high). Cover and boil for 2 hours. Remove the lid and boil for a further 30 minutes
4. Remove the Bones and then strain through a fine sieve. Pour the Liquid into a large saucepan and place over high heat. Boil until the liquid has reduced by ¾ and a silky, viscous Demi-Glace liquid forms
   
   

Recipe Notes

• This recipe will yield approximately 1 ½ cups of Demi-Glace
• You can use an Instant Pot / Pressure cooker for step 3. Cook the Stock for 1 ½ hours and then move into step 4
• We recommend freezing what you don’t need for use later
  
  

We hope you enjoy this simple recipe for Easy Demi-Glace and are well on your way to making some delicious homemade Sauces with this amazing base ingredient

Speaking of Sauces, feel free to check out our dedicated Sauces page here for a load of wonderful Sauces to enjoy with your home cooking. Here’s a few of our favorites:

• Mustard Veloute Sauce
• Roast Poblano Chili Sauce
• Garlic Anchovy Mayonnaise
• Blender Béarnaise Sauce
  
  

Happy Cooking!