One of the most challenging qualities of cooking with meats and fish is to keep them from drying out. A great way to add moisture back into your meat after it's finished cooking is to serve it au jus.

In French, au jus (pronounced oh zhoo) literally means with juice, because it is a simple sauce made with the drippings from a roast (or another cut of meat), or by deglazing the cooking pan with red wine or another liquid. The juices are then cooked further to reduce the sauce down into a velvety smooth texture.

Gravy and au jus both use roasted meat drippings, but gravy is thickened by an agent like flour or cornstarch. While the jus will thicken up as it is reduced, it should not have the same texture as gravy, as it’s mostly just liquid fats.