Jus

Definition

The natural juices from cooked meat, served as a light sauce. Not to be confused with gravy, because jus is French and therefore fancier, thinner, and three times the price. Ordering something 'au jus' makes you sound worldly even at Arby's.

Example Usage

"Would you like that with a side of jus?" the waiter asked. "You mean gravy?" I replied. We both pretended the other didn't exist after that.

Related Terms

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nappé

The correct consistency for a sauce to coat the back of a spoon in a thin, even layer without immediately running off. It's thicker than water but thinner than your excuses for overcooking the sauce.

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macerate

To soften fruit by soaking it in liquid (often with sugar), drawing out juices and infusing flavors through osmosis. The patient way to make mediocre berries taste like they came from heaven.

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proof

Allowing yeast dough to rise before or after shaping, during which time the yeast ferments and creates gas bubbles. The period where you anxiously watch dough and wonder if your yeast is actually alive.

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parboil

Partially cooking food by boiling briefly before finishing with another cooking method, combining the speed of boiling with the flavor of roasting or grilling. The head start that makes crispy potatoes and tender ribs actually achievable.

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slurry

A mixture of starch (cornstarch or arrowroot) and cold liquid used as a quick thickening agent, favored for its speed over the more traditional roux. The emergency thickener for when your sauce is too thin and service starts in five minutes.

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chard

A leafy green vegetable that looks like celery mated with spinach and had rainbow babies, with colorful stems ranging from white to neon pink. Also known as Swiss chard (despite not being particularly Swiss), this beet relative offers nutritious greens that taste slightly bitter and earthy. It's what you buy when you want to feel healthy but kale seems too trendy.

🍳 Food / Culinary

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