Ever since I learned what a good sauce is 10 years ago during my internship at the bistro Apetit (Jurjevska 65a, Chef Goran Kočiš), my obsession with sauces continued during the season in Austria when I worked my first winter season in Hinterglemm (Salzburg Province), Hotel Unterschwarzachof, Restaurant Der Schwarzacher.
Chef Patron Hubert, cooked it every few days and made supplies for the coming weeks… I remember well the cute jars filled with chef’s “gold”, a rich bronze – dark – brown color. Demi-glace.
The veal or beef bones (oxtail, neck bones, marrow bones) were roasted until dark brown, almost burnt (but there is a very fine line there). The root vegetables were caramelized in a large rectangular vat along with tomato concentrate, and all of this was poured with red wine that had to evaporate…
After pouring in the meat stock, the well-caramelized bones were thrown into the vat, along with a few bay leaves, fresh thyme, and black peppercorns.
The rule was to cook for hours, until the next day, but at a low temperature, so that it simmered gently to extract as much flavor, aroma, collagen, and all the goodness as possible from the bones and vegetables.
The liquid was then strained through a very fine sieve and continued to reduce to a syrupy consistency, a dark, rich brown color, and a sticky mouthfeel… The sauce was finished off by boiling and adding a small amount of butter when served.