Jus is best described as:

Jus is best described as:

• A. A clear vegetable broth
• B. A stock reduced to a jelly
• C. A liquid from simmering vegetables
• D. Rich, lightly reduced stock used as a sauce for roasted meats

Answer: (D)

Jus is a finished sauce built from the meat’s own juices and a stock, given a light reduction to concentrate flavor without becoming thick or syrupy. The idea is to have a pourable, richly flavored liquid that complements roasted meats, not a plain vegetable broth or a fully gelled product. While stock helps form the base, the pan drippings from roasting provide the meat-forward flavor that defines jus, and a light reduction keeps it elegant and easy to spoon over the meat. If you reduce stock further and let it chill, you’d get a gelée or glace, which is thicker and used differently; jus sits in between—flavorful and coating, but still pourable.

Jus is a finished sauce built from the meat’s own juices and a stock, given a light reduction to concentrate flavor without becoming thick or syrupy. The idea is to have a pourable, richly flavored liquid that complements roasted meats, not a plain vegetable broth or a fully gelled product. While stock helps form the base, the pan drippings from roasting provide the meat-forward flavor that defines jus, and a light reduction keeps it elegant and easy to spoon over the meat. If you reduce stock further and let it chill, you’d get a gelée or glace, which is thicker and used differently; jus sits in between—flavorful and coating, but still pourable.