In Photos: How To Make Poutine
There are 3 main components to this dish:
- Crispy Oven-Baked French Fries
- Rich Beef Gravy (it’s almost like a beef stew), and
- Cheese (I can’t get cheese curds where I live, so I use a combination of cheese sauce and shredded cheese)
I’d recommend starting with the gravy, since that takes the longest to make. The fries and cheese sauce can be made while the gravy simmers away on the stove.
This gravy is a “low-and-slow” kind of recipe. I like to make it on a wintery Sunday when there’s lots of time, and everyone is gathered around the TV watching a game.
If you need a quicker version, you can make it in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Check out the instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Brown the meat
You’ll want to start with cubes of beef. At my grocery store, they’re labeled “stew meat.” They’re usually a tougher cut of meat, which is perfect for the slow braise we are going to cook them in.
Heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot until it’s shimmering. Then season the meat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and give it a nice hot sear.
You are looking for a really deep brown crust. Don’t worry if the bottom of the pot gets a whole lot of dark brown gunk on it. It’s tempting to think it will be a nightmare to clean, but I promise it won’t be. And all that brown is going to add so much flavor to this poutine recipe. It’s called “fond,” and it’s delicious.
Remove the browned meat from the pot and set it aside.
Step 2: Add the vegetables
If the pot looks like it needs it, add a little more oil and then toss in the carrots and onions.
I just use half a bag of baby carrots and chop the onion really roughly. It’s all gonna get pureed up anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You can also use some fresh herbs at this stage, if you like.
Sometimes I’ll add some thyme or rosemary sprigs, maybe a couple of bay leaves, but for this recipe, I’m just giving you the basics.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and saute the veggies until the onions are starting to look translucent.
Step 3: Build the base
Then pop in a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir it all around so the veg gets coated, and allow it to brown a little bit and enrich that fond. Sprinkle a little flour on top. This will help thicken the gravy.
Stir it all around, cooking out the raw taste of the flour for a minute or so.
Step 4: Add the beer
Then stir in half a beer, using your spoon to scrape up those browned bits. The beer adds incredible flavor, but it also helps to pull that fond up, bringing its toasty-brown flavor into the gravy and making your pot easy to clean.
Use any kind of beer you like the taste of. For what you see here, I used an IPA, but I think a malty, nut-brown ale would be even better. Or a dark, intensely flavorful porter.
Step 5: Simmer
Pour in a box of beef stock, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the gravy simmer until the carrots are very soft.
Step 6: Puree
Now you can blend the gravy to get it satiny-smooth and thick. I like to use a hand blender for this step. A regular blender will work too, as will a food mill.
If you’ve added herbs, be sure to remove the stems and any tough leaves before pureeing.
Step 7: Return meat to the pot
Now add the meat back in and allow it to continue cooking at a low simmer, nice and slow. If you want, you can transfer it to a slow cooker at this stage and let it cook all day while you’re at work, out having fun, or whatever.
Step 8: Make the fries
About 45 minutes to an hour before the gravy is done simmering, you can start on the fries. I shared a lot of tips on how to make these healthier, oven-baked fries in my most recent post, Crispy Oven Fries.
Cut your potatoes into 3/8- to 1/2-inch sticks and soak them in hot water, vinegar, and salt for at least 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Toss with cornstarch, salt, and oil, then arrange in a single layer on hot, foil-lined baking sheets. Bake at 450°F, flipping every 6 to 7 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on all sides.
Pro Tip: Don’t crowd the pan! Give your fries space so they can get nice and crispy.
Step 9: Time for cheese sauce
Cheese curds are the authentic way to make poutine, but they aren’t always easy to find in my neck of the woods. I use my favorite cheese sauce recipe and a few handfuls of shredded cheese.
My cheese sauce recipe has been really popular over the last year or so. A fan favorite! You can find all the details here: Beer Cheese Recipe.
It’s basically just cream cheese, the remaining half a beer left over from making gravy, more cheese, and seasonings, melted together in a pot over very low heat.
It is velvety-smooth, creamy, and so indulgently flavorful!
Use any kind of cheese you like. For a mild, milky-tasting element, I’d suggest mozzarella. If you like a sharper taste, I love extra-sharp white cheddar.
Step 10: Assemble
Once all the components are ready, place a handful or two of fries in the bottom of a shallow bowl or on a plate.
Top them with shredded cheese, then drizzle on some of that gorgeous cheese sauce.
Ladle on a generous amount of the homemade beef gravy, then garnish with more cheese and some finely chopped parsley or scallions. Then just dive in!
You’ve got everything you need in that bowl. Comfort food!
Make Ahead Tips
If you’d like to make this dish ahead of time, I’d suggest making the gravy and cheese sauce first.
They will keep in the fridge for at least several days.
The fries can be cut and soaked several hours beforehand to get a lot of the prep out of the way.
Reheat the gravy and cheese sauce in a pot over low heat, or in the microwave in quick bursts, stirring occasionally.
Bake the fries and assemble the poutine just before serving, for optimal crispiness!
Or if you don’t mind the fries softening up under all those toppings (I sure don’t!), go ahead and do it all ahead of time!