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This is one I have wanted to publish for a while but never had the where-with-all to have the camera close by or the energy to stage everything to take pictures. That being said, this is another family recipe that has been around for a long, long, long time.
Ingredients:
1 package (1 pound) sausage. We use Jimmy Dean regular, but feel free to use what you like.
1/3 cup (approx. 3 TBSP) all purpose flour
3 cups (24 oz.) cold milk. Feel free to use whatever kind you like, but I drink ONLY whole/vitamin D milk.
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 package biscuits. I use the jumbo flaky kind, but use what you like or make your own from scratch. Whatevs...
Procedure:
In a deep walled skillet or large saucepan over medium heat, add your sausage and onions. Cook until the sausage is cooked and the onions have softened.
After the sausage and onion mixture is cooked, add your flour and stir to incorporate. Cook for a few minutes to cook the flour taste out.
Add your milk and STIR CONSTANTLY. Stir all over the pan, the sides, and keep stirring at all times. Not real hard, but keep the gravy moving.
Continue stirring over medium heat until the gravy begins to behave like it wants to boil. Continue cooking and reduce the heat. Gravy will ONLY thicken to it's final state once it has come to a boil. Not a hard boil because you don't want to risk curdling the milk, but it must come up to temperature to thicken and to cook the last of the flour taste out otherwise it will taste like glue.
Cook your biscuits according to package directions, then split open, spoon gravy over them, season to your liking with salt and pepper, and enjoy!
Notes:
If your gravy seems too thin after it has come to a boil, you can either:
1. Continue cooking to drive off the moisture to hopefully thicken it up
2. Make a small batch of slurry with flour and milk and drizzle a small amount into the gravy and continue to cook until it has thickened to your liking.
Similarly, if your gravy gets too tight before it comes to a boil, add a few TBSP milk at a time until it gets to the right consistency.
Variations on a theme:
You can make Bacon gravy, Hamburger gravy, ground pork gravy - all the exact same way.
Final thoughts:
Fat, flour, milk comprise a basic white sauce. The basic white sauce is one of those considered a "mother sauce" and you can take that white sauce any number of different directions. Add cheese to make a creamy cheese sauce for homemade Mac-n-cheese. Add salt, pepper, a dash of nutmeg and a type of white, neutral cheese to make a Beschamel sauce. Take your white sauce and add chopped dried beef to make creamed chipped beef. Add peas and new potatoes to the cream sauce to make creamed peas and potatoes. The list goes on and on. If you can master a mother sauce, a whole 'nother level of cooking opens up to you.
Ingredients:
1 package (1 pound) sausage. We use Jimmy Dean regular, but feel free to use what you like.
1/3 cup (approx. 3 TBSP) all purpose flour
3 cups (24 oz.) cold milk. Feel free to use whatever kind you like, but I drink ONLY whole/vitamin D milk.
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 package biscuits. I use the jumbo flaky kind, but use what you like or make your own from scratch. Whatevs...
Procedure:
In a deep walled skillet or large saucepan over medium heat, add your sausage and onions. Cook until the sausage is cooked and the onions have softened.
After the sausage and onion mixture is cooked, add your flour and stir to incorporate. Cook for a few minutes to cook the flour taste out.
Add your milk and STIR CONSTANTLY. Stir all over the pan, the sides, and keep stirring at all times. Not real hard, but keep the gravy moving.
Continue stirring over medium heat until the gravy begins to behave like it wants to boil. Continue cooking and reduce the heat. Gravy will ONLY thicken to it's final state once it has come to a boil. Not a hard boil because you don't want to risk curdling the milk, but it must come up to temperature to thicken and to cook the last of the flour taste out otherwise it will taste like glue.
Cook your biscuits according to package directions, then split open, spoon gravy over them, season to your liking with salt and pepper, and enjoy!
Notes:
If your gravy seems too thin after it has come to a boil, you can either:
1. Continue cooking to drive off the moisture to hopefully thicken it up
2. Make a small batch of slurry with flour and milk and drizzle a small amount into the gravy and continue to cook until it has thickened to your liking.
Similarly, if your gravy gets too tight before it comes to a boil, add a few TBSP milk at a time until it gets to the right consistency.
Variations on a theme:
You can make Bacon gravy, Hamburger gravy, ground pork gravy - all the exact same way.
Final thoughts:
Fat, flour, milk comprise a basic white sauce. The basic white sauce is one of those considered a "mother sauce" and you can take that white sauce any number of different directions. Add cheese to make a creamy cheese sauce for homemade Mac-n-cheese. Add salt, pepper, a dash of nutmeg and a type of white, neutral cheese to make a Beschamel sauce. Take your white sauce and add chopped dried beef to make creamed chipped beef. Add peas and new potatoes to the cream sauce to make creamed peas and potatoes. The list goes on and on. If you can master a mother sauce, a whole 'nother level of cooking opens up to you.
