Tried to make gravy last night from scratch...?!
Anyone have an idea what I was missing or did I just use bad ratios of the ingredients? I'm wondering if she added something I didn't see her add to it
Thanks for any advice
Answers: I was basically following my great grandmother's recipe (which I watched her make once when I was younger, but other than that have no paper recipe). I used salt, pepper, sausage, milk and flour, just like she did, but it did NOT come out right. It was too thick and no matter how much milk I put in it wouldn't get much thinner and the flour kept balling up. Also I put in too much salt I think, which is fixable. But the way my grandmother made it it would come out like normal gravy, runny, not lumpy, but thick enough to not spread out over the plate like water.
Anyone have an idea what I was missing or did I just use bad ratios of the ingredients? I'm wondering if she added something I didn't see her add to it
Thanks for any advice
It sounds like you used too much flour and the result is gravy that is way too thick. I crumble the sausage and cook until browned and add just enough flour to absorb most of the fat, leaving some visible. Cook the flour/fat mixture for a few minutes stirring to prevent scorching. Slowly add your milk, stirring constantly over medium heat. I hope this is some hel[ as I never use a fixed recipe.
Sawmill Gravy
A breakfast of sausage, biscuits and Sawmill Gravy is hard to beat.
1 pound Pork sausage (can be less, but you need at least enough to make 2 tablespoons of drippings)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
Pepper, to taste (at least ? teaspoon)
Crumble the sausage and fry it until it is brown. Remove it from the skillet to drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet.
Over low to medium heat, add the flour to the pan drippings, stirring constantly so that the flour "cooks" for about a minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Stir in the pepper and cooked, crumbled sausage, and cook until mixture is hot. Serve over biscuits.
Basic Pan Gravy
2 tablespoons meat drippings
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup liquid (beef or chicken broth, water, meat juices, or a combination of them)
Salt and pepper, to taste
After the meat is removed from the pan and put in a warm place, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the pan juices in the skillet. If you're not sure about how much is left in the pan, pour off all the drippings and measure 2 tablespoons back into the skillet. Heat up the drippings over medium-low heat.
Sprinkle the flour over the heated drippings, and stir it constantly so that the flour "cooks" for about a minute. Then gradually add the liquid, stirring constantly, until the gravy begins to thicken and bubble. Add the salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat, pour the gravy into your prettiest gravy boat, and you're done.
"But," you moan, "I've tried that before and it was a disaster." Well, you probably tried it once and never tried it again, or you waited too long before your second attempt. I cannot emphasize enough that perfect gravy comes with the knowledge and skill born of frequent practice. But here are some tips:
Have your ingredients ready. Don't get your flour browned in the pan and then have to stop and go find your broth. Have everything at your fingertips.
Use a broad-bottomed stirrer. I have an ancient wooden spoon that has a flat spot worn on the bottom from stirring gravy.
Stir quickly and vigorously, especially when you start adding the liquid.
Add the liquid a little at a time - gradually. If you pour it in all at once, you'll get lumps for sure.
Pay attention to the heat. Too hot, and your gravy will thicken too quickly.
Gravy tends to keep thickening even after it's removed from the pan. Pour it up just an instant before you think it's thick enough. (This is one place where experience is the best teacher.)
If you think your gravy is too thick, just thin it with a little of the warmed liquid (milk, water, whatever) and reheat.
If you do end up with some lumps, don't throw yourself off a cliff - just strain it.
Did you use butter? The way I make gravy is to melt butter in a saucepan and then add milk and heat while stirring with a wooden spoon. I then add the flour slowly just to make a rue. I then season with salt and lots of pepper and add sometimes add cooked sausage plus some of the fat from cooking if you want it, but it isn't necessary since there is already fat from the butter. I always use butter and it never seems to fail me!
Probably just wrong ratios.
To make sausge gravy I cook the sausage then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour over the meat and grease. Let it cook on low for a few minutes. It will get a little bubbly then stir it up. I add about 1/2-1 cup water first and stir well. Then let it thicken a bit, then I use canned milk, or reg milk works okay as well. I only add about 1/4 cup at a time then I let it thicken slightly, then add more liquid etc... I think it's better then just adding a couple cups milk or what ever all at once, then letting ti thicken. I just believe that when you do that the flour doesn't work as well cuz it's drowned. Besides this works much better cuz you don't have to stand over a pot of milkwaiting for it to thicken and hoping it doesn't scorch.
Ok, without the recipe in front of me I will have to wing it.
Start by browning the sausage so that it releases, or renders out all of its oil. Do this over medium heat. You don't want to burn it. Remove the meat from the skillet leaving the oils, and turn the heat to low. Slowly stir in flour, about a tablespoon at a time, until you get a smooth paste.
At this point put the meat back in the skillet, keeping the heat on low, add milk until you have a loose liquid. Turn the heat back up to Medium, and stir until it starts to bubble. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until it is as thick as you want. You can add more milk if the gravy becomes to thick as it cools.
I use cornstarch in my gravy, it doesn't clump up like flour does. Never salt till the very end, and always err on the side of not enough. You can always add more when it is served
no matter what kind of gravy you make the ratio for thickening has to be correct. i suspect you used WAY too much flour. Good rule of thumb is 2 tablespoons flour for every cup of liquid. this will get you a nice medium thick gravy. If you like it thinner, less flour, thicker, more flour. Also, when you have the flour and liquid cooking, it HAS to come to a full boil to cook out the raw taste and to bring it to its full thickening potential. you could use cornstarch but a gravy made with cornstarch is hard to reheat.( I always am looking at the left over factor!) Flour thickened gravy reheats beautifully. Just don't thin it down till after its hot.
just a couple of quick things here...all these are good ideas...except the cornstarch one...in sausage gravy????NEVER!!!!!!and dont remove your meat from your pan...it's not necessary..but the one thing you need to remember the most is that grandma's gravy takes time to learn...try again and again till you get it right...it's cool that it didnt work the first couple of times.....you'll get it...i promise!!!!!