Translating to "with juice" in French, au jus sauce for prime rib is the very thin gravy that is served alongside the classic beef main course prime rib. While often served in upscale restaurants, preparing the elegant dish at home for a holiday or special occasion is fairly simple. If you'd like to learn about creating this popular sauce at home, read on to find out how to make au jus sauce for prime rib.

As au jus is made from the dripping produced when roasting prime rib, the first step to making the sauce is to prepare the prime rib. Generally prime rib is roasted in an oven, cooking about 15 minutes per pound. Traditionally, the meat is cooked just until it's medium rare, with the center very pink and the meat brown around the edges.

After the prime rib is cooked, it's time to make the au jus sauce. After the meat is removed from the pan, the remaining juices are heated over burners on the stove. The majority of the fat is removed and the liquid and bits of meat that remain are deglazed with a red wine or beef stock. The liquid is heated to allow it to thicken slightly, then seasoned and served alongside the beef.

1. Trim the excess fat from your prime rib, removing any areas which are thicker than an inch. Rinse the meat in cold water and pat dry. If the meat was not tied by your butcher, tie the prime rib parallel to the rib bones.http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/ClassicPrimeRib.htm
2. Allow the meat to come to room temperature by letting it sit, lightly covered for two-to-four hours. This step is important to ensure it cooks evenly.http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/ClassicPrimeRib.htm
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Place the meat in a large roasting pan. There is no need to place the meat on a wire rack in the pan.
5. Smear the roast with butter and season liberally with salt and pepper. You can add other spices, like garlic or thyme at this time as well if desired.
6. Roast the meat in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes per pound for medium rare, generally around two hours. Check the meat for doneness using a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast. For medium rare, cook until the roast reaches 135 degrees F.http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/roast-prime-rib-with-thyme-au-jus-recipe/index.html
7. Remove the meat from the pan and place on a serving platter. Reserve the liquid and bits that remain in the roasting pan to prepare the sauce.

1. Using the liquid and small bits that remain in the pan after cooking your prime rib, allow the mixture to sit briefly so the fat can separate from the rest of the sauce.
2. Using a large flat spoon, remove the majority of the fat, leaving about two tablespoons. Discard the fat.
3. Center the roasting pan over two burners on your stove. Light both burners and set to high heat.
4. While stirring constantly, add two cups of a good-quality red wine to the pan. This will deglaze the pan, allowing the browned bits to release from the pan. Be sure to stir the mixture constantly, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
5. Continue to cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly.
6. When the mixture is thickened, examine the amount of sauce remaining. If you would like more sauce, stir in a few cups beef stock or beef broth. Continue to cook the sauce, stirring constantly until it reduces again to your desired thickness.
7. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and other spices of your choice.
8. Ladle into a serving dish or individual cups for each person, serve and enjoy!

1. While traditionally the sauce is very thin, like a broth, for a thicker sauce, two tablespoons of the removed fat can be cooked in a separate pan with a few tablespoons of flour. The fat-flour mixture can be added to the sauce to serve as a thickener. Be sure to stir constantly while and after adding flour to prevent it from becoming too thick or elastic.http://americanfood.about.com/od/meatsandpoultry/r/primerib.htm
2. Add a variety of spices to the sauce to suit your tastes. Garlic and thyme work well. Spices and seasonings can also be inserted into the meat before cooking by making small slices in the beef.http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/roast-prime-rib-with-thyme-au-jus-recipe/index.html
3. For a more flavorful sauce, cook one carrot, one celery stalk, one onion and three sprigs parsley in four cups of water mixed with four beef-flavored bouillon cubes. Simmer for about 45 minutes, then strain and discard the vegetables. Use the remaining liquid in place of the beef stock or broth to add volume to the sauce.http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/1565/au-jus-%28-for-prime-rib%29.html