Poutine � You'll Ruin French Fries and Like It

As the old joke goes, it takes a lot of time and effort to make poutine, but at least when you�re finally done you get to eat soggy fries. And, what incredibly delicious, soggy fries they are. 

Once you get past the fact that this is how they�re supposed to be, you can focus on the overall awesomeness of the dish, especially the rich, freshly made beef gravy featured herein.

I realize most you won�t actually use this gravy to make poutine, which is totally fine by me, since this is so good, on so many other things. While I don�t have any problem with you buying the cheese curds, or using frozen fries, I really do hope you make the sauce from scratch, as it is profoundly better than anything from the store.

I should mention that none of the �authentic� poutines I�ve had included chunks of beef in the gravy, but I really enjoy the extra meatiness, and this way everyone knows we made it from scratch. By the way, if you�re of the vegetarian persuasion, some severely caramelized mushrooms, and a decent vegetable stock (which I still need to do a video for), will produce a perfectly fine version. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon�at least the beef gravy. Enjoy!

For the Beef Gravy:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or lard

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef short rib, chuck, or brisket, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup diced onions (you can also add some garlic if you want)

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups homemade beef broth, or a low-sodium, all-natural prepared broth

fresh chives to garnish

For the Fries: click here for video

For the Cheese Curds: click here for video