I need advice on making gravy!?!
I need advice on making gravy!?
I love country fried steak and gravy (with brown gravy with onions). My mom's is delicious, but I now live 3 hours away from her and she isn't with me to help me.
I know you add flour to the grease and stir until desired color is reached, then add water and onions, and salt and pepper to taste. My mom also adds Worchestershire sauce and cooking wine to taste.
When I try to cook it (I've only tried twice) it doesn't brown and it turns out lumpy, like mud.
Someone please give me detailed instructions and tips on making gravy....it is very tricky!
Thanks.
Answers:
First use a whisk. When you add the flour to the drippings, you are making a roux. The darker the roux, the less the thickening power. The lighter the roux...
Whisk your roux, until it is smooth. This helps prevent the lumping.
For country fried steak, I recommend using milk not water. Turn the heat high, and slowly whisk in the milk. If you do it slowly enough, no lumps.
Remember, you must bring the mixture to a boil while whisking in order to cook out the flour and get it to it's thickest. Add more liquid if necessary.
I learned from my Mom, who learned from my Grandmother. And all of us make EXCELLENT GRAVY.
You take the drippings from whatever you have roasted. Remove some of the greast if there is alot of it. Add a little water to loosen the drippings from the pan. Put it on low heat. Take a shaker (milk shaker or any tupperware tight lid container) add 1-2 cups milk(chicken-turkey-pork) or water(beef) and then 2 tablespoons of flower or 1 T of cornstarch. Shake very very well till all lumps of the flour are broken down. Pour into simmering liquid in pan and cook (low boil) for at least 10 minutes stirring ALL THE TIME with a whisk.
DELICIOUS GRAVY will be yours to serve.
If it's not dark enough for yuo ~ Kitchen Bouquet adds color and enhances the inner flavor of any gravy.
Be careful with adding vinegar or wine additives as they may curdle the gravy. Not alwasy a good idea. If you want to add wine ~ do it to the pan before the flour/milk or water mixture.
I agree with MRORPH.
And yes you must use milk, that will help to make it thicker and give it a better flavor than water.
First up understand the difference between gravy and sauce.
Your mom makes a proper gravy.
Use the animal fat left in the cooking pan, add a little water.
Add onions and Worcestershire sauce.
Make a paste from flour and water.
Add paste to hot pan while this lot comes to a simmer.
Stir vigorously.
The trick is to stir the paste in so that it will not go lumpy and keep some water handy to add while stirring so that the gravy does not get too thick.
Alternative:
Use a soup powder with a little water to make a thick sauce of your choice.
Mushroom, Chicken, Oxtail, etc.
Also stir well. Usually fools most people if done well.
You can add the meaty fat from the oven pan with this also if you wish...
Enjoy
Melanie's gravy recipe is exactly how my Mother makes it. The only difference is I just put the flour or corn starch in a measuing cup and mix it with a fork until there are no lumps. But she's right on - this recipe makes delicious gravy!!!!
I like bacon grease, so I just fry up the bacon, take the bacon out, mix flour with COLD milk in a jar till smooth, pour that into the hot fat and whisk till done. The gravy is creamy and light colored. Salt and pepper.
If I put flour into the hot grease to get the brown color, I pour in HOT water or milk slowly whisking into the flour fat mix to make the gravy smooth and lump free. Pour in slowly and whisking constantly.
I cook the gravy about 5 minutes till boiling and thick.
First, add some butter (1-2 tbl) to the pan drippings. Then add your onions and saute them until translucent. Then, add about 2 spoonfuls of flour. Whisk it together and let it simmer over med-low heat. This will make sure your sauce doesn't end up tasting like flour. Then after about 3 minutes, add your liquid. Add your splash of wine first. Let it cook for a couple of minutes to reduce.I would reccomend adding chicken/beef stock/broth instead of water. That's what I use for my country fried steak- it adds a lot more flavor than water does. If your mom's is brown, then she probably uses beef stock. Make sure you add is slowly and whisk everything! Add your worchestershire sauce next, and salt and pepper. Let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the onions are soft. Taste as you go!
If your gravy still doesn't turn out right, it should, but if not, next time try using canned cream of mushroom soup added to the drippings. Add a cup of stock to the soup and onions. This makes an easier version of the gravy. I hope this helps you!
You Are Adding To Much Flour At OneTime That Will Make It Lumpy and
Like Mud