Brown sauce (meat stock based)

In classical French cuisine, a brown sauce is generally a sauce with a meat stock base, thickened by reduction, and sometimes the addition of a browned roux, similar in some ways to, but more involved than, a gravy.

[1] In Danish cuisine brown sauce (brun sovs) is a very common sauce, and refers to a sauce with a meat stock base (in modern times, often replaced by broth made from bouillon cubes), thickened by a roux, and sometimes colored a rich, deep brown with a product consisting of dark caramelized sugar, known as brun kulør (literally, "brown colouring") or madkulør (literally, "food colouring") or collorit soya (in Sweden).

[2] The Norwegian variety (brun saus) is made in the same way as the Danish brown sauce, usually from wheat flour.

[3] In Sweden (brunsås) and Finland (ruskeakastike), meatballs are usually served with a light brown, thick sauce, prepared in the same manner as sauce espagnole (combining dark brown roux with stock), but attains a lighter colour and smoother consistency due to the addition of cream.

It is spiced with black pepper, and it is common to add soy sauce, blackcurrant jelly, apple sauce, onions, mustard, allspice, tomato puree or other ingredients to add flavor.