Beef Poutine Fries and Gravy
This post is sponsored by Panorama Meats. As always, all opinions, thoughts and recipes are my own.
These Beefy Poutine Fries and Gravy make a delicious appetizer or dinner. A twist on traditional Canadian poutine, this favorite comfort food recipe features French fries from the freezer section speckled with white cheese curds and drizzled in hearty beef stew meat poutine gravy. This gravy fries recipe is so easy to make at home! Makes 4-6 servings.
Real talk: As a Southerner, I’ve never eaten traditional poutine in Canada. (A crying shame, I know.)
But I’ve eaten a lot of it in various restaurants all over the place… and I can tell you that the fried potatoes-cheese curds-gravy combination is a favorite of mine because it’s hearty and comforting.
I’ve been super into the comfort food these days, and I bet you could use some, too.
And poutine (pronounced “poo-teen”) is a traditional Quebec dish that features French fries, gravy and cheese curds.
It’s actually reaaaaaaaaaaally simple to make at home.
Why I love this recipe:
We’re adding a sliiiiiiiiight twist to traditional poutine—a French Canadian specialty—with beef stew meat. Their gravy has no meat in it, but I’ve been assured this is an acceptable twist.
With just a few ingredients and a package of Panorama’s beef stew meat, you can make this traditional bar food at home in less than 2 hours.
Also, we’re using frozen fries to make this simpler on ourselves. Because while homemade fries are awesome, I, for one, rarely make ’em.
Panorama’s stew meat adds some extra beefy flavors, and the fries and cheese curds pair beautifully with it, too.
Have you seen the other recipes I’ve made using Panorama Meats products?: Beef Taco Pasta Salad | Grilled Steak Flatbread Pizza | Homemade Loaded Queso | Texas Chili (without beans!) | Ground Beef Meat Pies | French Onion Steak Pasta | How to Broil Steak | Steak Bruschetta with French Onion Marmalade | Enchilada Meatballs
Looking for more appetizer recipes to make at home? Check out my Appetizer and Finger Foods recipe index for inspiration!
Why I Love Panorama Meats (And Why You Should, Too)
In case you didn’t know it, I adore Panorama Meat products and think you should seek them out if you haven’t tried them yet. (They’re available at Whole Foods, btw.)
The beef flavor is unlike any other brand of beef I’ve tried before. I think it’s a credit to how the cattle are raised.
The cattle, which are all born and raised in the United States by family ranchers, are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. This means they live in a pasture and eating grasses, legumes and range forage for the duration of their lives.
The brand has high animal welfare standards, too. All of Panorama’s products are Global Animal Partnership Animal Welfare Rated Step 4 and USDA certified organic.
The organic label means that the cattle receive no added hormones or antibiotics ever. (Panorama farmers don’t use methods of growth stimulation, either.) However, animals are vaccinated against known illnesses.
Panorama believes in humane animal treatment, so if an animal gets sick and cannot recover on its own, it is treated. After treatment, it no longer qualifies for the Panorama meat organic program.
Have you tried Panorama Meats products yet?
What you’ll need to make Poutine Gravy and Fries
- Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker
- Wooden spoon
- Baking sheet (to bake the fries)
- A cast iron skillet or a pie pan to serve the poutine in
In addition to these tools, you’re going to need some ingredients, too:
- Panorama Beef Stew Meat—I wanted to highlight Panorama’s stew meat in this recipe because I knew shredded, fall-apart-tender stew meat would be perfect in gravy. In fact, it reminds me of debris sandwiches (which is to say, all the beef bits that fell off the roast into the gravy while roasting, turned into the sloppiest/most amazing sandwich.)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Beef stock and chicken stock—Our gravy is a combination of these two. I personally like the combo because the addition of the chicken stock lightens it up just a wee bit. If you’ve only got beef stock, you can use that, no problem. Same with the chicken stock, though your gravy will be lighter in color and beef flavor.
- Cornstarch—to thicken up the gravy, just a little bit
- Frozen French fries—Real talk: I know a lot of authentic poutine recipes ask you to make your own fries, and I think this is amazing. However, I’m not a fried food at home type of gal. (Bad things have happened in the past, and I just don’t do it.) Using frozen shoestring fries in place of the homemade variety is an easy shortcut that ensures I actually make this recipe.
- Cheese curds—Cheese curds are sometimes called “squeaky cheese.” It’s young cheddar cheese, and it’s an utter delight when paired with the gravy fries.
How to make Homemade Poutine
Make the poutine gravy
We’re going to use our electric pressure cooker to pressure cook and sauté. Make sure yours does this before you get started.
Add the Panorama Beef Stew meat and chicken stock to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, and then close the lid on the electric pressure cooker. Make sure the pressure release valve is set to “sealed.”
Cook the stew meat on manual high pressure for an hour and a half. (Yes, we’re going to cook it for this long so that the meat is fall-apart tender.)
When done, quick release the pressure completely, then remove the lid. Set your electric pressure cooker to Saute, and use a wooden spoon or a fork to break up the meat. It’ll be pretty easy since the stew meat will be super tender. The shredded meat will be easier to incorporate into the gravy.
Make a slurry of beef stock and cornstarch in a liquid measuring cup. This means you’ll combine the room temp stock with the cornstarch. Use a fork to stir them together until the cornstarch has dissolved into the stock. (This will be challenging to do if your stock of cold, so let it come to room temperature or warm it slightly in the microwave.)
Pour the stock-cornstarch mixture into the beef mixture, and cook until the mixture has thickened into a gravy.
After this point, turn off the electric pressure cooker, and cover to keep warm.
Make the Poutine Fries
Bake your frozen French fries based on the packaging instructions. (You can also fry your own if you’re feeling fancy, but that’s not in my wheelhouse, and I take the easy way with these.)
Please note we found that we needed to bake them 5-7 more minutes to get them suuuuuuper crispy. Why? If they’re just slightly crisp, they won’t stand up to the gravy and will become a soggy mess.
When the fries are crispy and golden brown, remove ‘em from the oven and transfer immediately to your serving dish.
A note on the serving dish: We used a small cast iron skillet to serve ours, but you could put them on a big plate/platter, in a bowl or even a pie pan. Use what you’ve got on hand that’s large enough to contain all that gravy.
Add the cheese curds on top of the fries, then drizzle the beef stew meat gravy on top of those.
Garnish with parsley, if desired, and enjoy immediately!
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
While we might not be entertaining at the moment, I look forward to the day when I can welcome friends into my house again.
These Poutine Fries and Gravy would be an excellent dish to serve to friends coming over for a sports-related event because it’s the ultimate kind of bar food.
The thing is… it’s gotta be eaten immediately to truly be enjoyed to the fullest. (Nobody likes soggy fries, and since poutine is fries drenched in gravy, the longer they sit, the sadder they become.)
So with this in mind, here are my tips and tricks:
- Prep your ingredients in advance. Get everything measured out beforehand and reserve it on the countertop (or in the fridge, depending on the ingredient.)
- Make the gravy ahead of time. You could even make it 2-3 days beforehand and store it in the fridge. Cook the gravy until it starts to thicken so that when you reheat it, it can thicken more. (The gravy will thicken up in the fridge, so plan to add a little drizzle or two of stock to get it to the right consistency.) You can reheat it in the electric pressure cooker, too, on the Saute setting or the slow cooker setting.
- Get your friends to help throw it together! This dish is best hot, so invite guests to chop the parsley garnish, measure out the cheese curds and bake the fries. The possibilities are endless—and it’s always fun to be in the kitchen with friends, especially when you’re making something like poutine.
- Serve with forks because this stuff is messy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Panorama Meats can be found at 120 Whole Foods Markets throughout Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, Florida and the Southwest, including Texas. They’re sold at Brookshire Brothers in Texas, too.
Poutine is a Canadian specialty that originates from Quebec that features French fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy.
Canadian poutine doesn’t have beef stew meat in the gravy, nor does it have a garnish like parsley.
Cheese curds are a part of the cheese making process, and the ones normally sold here are cheddar. From my understanding, curds are separated from the whey during the process and then formed into blocks of cheese, which are then aged.
Cheese curds are the younger cheese, and while their flavor is similar to that of the cheese they make, but their texture is different. In some places, cheese curds are referred to “squeaky cheese” because of their springy texture.
Pro tip: The squeakiness of the cheese curd indicates freshness. The squeakier, the better!
I found mine at the regular grocery here in Dallas at the cheese counter. I bet you can find ‘em at yours, too, or go to a specialty cheese shop. Mine were from Wisconsin.
If you can’t find cheese curds, purchase a block of cheddar cheese or marbled cheese and cut it into chunks. Sprinkle it on top of the fries before drizzling the poutine gravy on top.
While the texture won’t be the same as curds, you’ll still get bursts of cheddar flavor.
Absolutely. The beauty of the electric slow cooker in this recipe is that it cuts down on the time the meat needs to cook, but you can make it on the stovetop, too.
Cook the beef stew meat with all the stock (instead of just the chicken stock), covered, for 5-7 hours on low heat. Low and slow wins the race with a cut of meat like stew meat, which needs time to become tender.
When the meat is tender enough, simple shred it, make a slurry with the cornstarch and a little water, then drizzle that in and make your gravy.
Quick tips for making Homemade Poutine and Gravy
- Make it extra cheesy by throwing in more cheese curds and hiding some beneath the fries so they get a chance to get gooey and wonderful.
- If you’re feeding a crowd, double the recipe. Just know that this recipe does not store well, so if it doesn’t all get eaten, you’ll have soggy leftover poutine.
- Traditional Canadian poutine doesn’t have garnish, so skip the parsley if you want.
Beef Poutine Fries and Gravy
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Panorama Beef Stew Meat
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup chicken stock unsalted if possible
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 16 oz. French fries frozen (I used shoestring, but you can use any type)
- ½ cup cheese curds
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Instructions
Make the Poutine Gravy
- In the pot of an electric pressure cooker, add the Panorama Beef Stew meat. Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the lid on the electric pressure cooker. Make sure the pressure release valve is set to “sealed.”
- Set the electric pressure cooker on manual high pressure for 1 hour and 30 minutes, and let the beef stew meat cook under pressure.
- When the timer rings, quick release the pressure.
- When the pot has completely depressurized, remove the lid.
- Set the electric pressure cooker to the Saute setting. Use a wooden spoon or a fork to break apart the meat. (This should be pretty easy since it will be incredibly tender now!)
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine the beef stock (at room temperature) and cornstarch to make a slurry. Use a fork to stir them together until the cornstarch has completely dissolved into the stock.
- Pour the stock-cornstarch mixture into the beef mixture.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened into a gravy, then turn off the electric pressure cooker, and cover to keep warm.
Make the Poutine Fries
- Bake your freezer French fries based on the packaging instructions. (We found that you need to bake them 5-7 more minutes to get them suuuuuuper crispy. If they’re just slightly crisp, they won’t stand up to the gravy and will become a soggy mess.)
- When the fries are crispy and golden brown, remove from the oven and transfer immediately to your serving dish.
- Sprinkle the cheese curds on top of the fries.
- Drizzle the beef stew meat gravy on top of the fries and cheese curds.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, and enjoy immediately.
Video
Notes
Panorama Meats can be found at 120 Whole Foods Markets throughout Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, Florida and the Southwest, including Texas. They’re sold at Brookshire Brothers in Texas, too. Where can I purchase cheese curds?
I found mine at the regular grocery here in Dallas at the cheese counter. I bet you can find ‘em at yours, too. I can’t find cheese curds. What can I substitute for them?
If you can’t find cheese curds, purchase a block of cheddar cheese or marbled cheese and shred it. Sprinkle it on top of the fries before drizzling the poutine gravy on top. While the texture won’t be the same as curds, you’ll still get bursts of cheddar flavor. I don’t have an electric pressure cooker. Can I make this meaty poutine gravy on the stovetop?
Yes, you can… but it’ll take some time. Cook the beef stew meat with all the stock (instead of just the chicken stock), covered, for 5-7 hours on low heat. Low and slow wins the race with a cut of meat like stew meat, which needs time to become tender. When the meat is tender enough, simple shred it, make a slurry with the cornstarch and a little water, then drizzle that in and make your gravy.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
My husband and his friend had these last night. They said they were great. I didn’t get to try them, but maybe one day I will.
Living near the land of cheese curds (wisconsin), I am always on the lookout for fun ways to use them! This recipe is the perfect comfort food!
This is my guilty pleasure meal! So much flavor!
Perfect comfort food!