Author Topic: GOOD GRAVY!  (Read 61613 times)

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Offline Hub

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GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #-1 on: February 16, 2015, 03:43:18 PM »
All About Gravy!

Gravy (my favorite food) is technically an emulsion of meat juices, fats, other moisture, and thickeners like flour, potato flakes, or corn starch.  That’s a very cold and analytical statement.  It is also a fairly useless definition since there are many variations and adaptations.  Let’s just say it is a sauce, often created to bring joy to a hungry world that would be dry and dull without it.  Gravy is proof that God loves us.  There!  That puts it in a much higher plane and recognizes how important it is in our lives.  Making good gravy is far, far more important than defining it.  So, let’s get right to it . . .

TWO BASIC WAYS TO MAKE GRAVY

Some food scientist (probably one of Alton Brown’s staff writers) has no doubt waxed eloquently and precisely on what I’m going to say here.  Fine.  Read that drivel if you don’t understand the soul of gravy.  Here’s my somewhat less sophisticated analysis:  There is pan gravy and there is pot gravy.  Both are legitimate and quite useful, but vary a little in the approach and execution.

Pan Gravy

You have to fry something before you make it.  It results when you recycle those delicious little bits of meat, crisp breading bits, and drops of fat and juice by adding some thickening agent (flour, usually) then scratching it around in the pan until it browns up into “scrapings” (roux to the more Gallically inclined) then add more moisture and stir it around until your arm is tired.  With luck and practice it will thicken and taste like manna from heaven.  Making good pan gravy requires practice, though.   There isn’t a good gravy cook alive who has not created a few “fails” while learning to produce this nectar.  Be brave.  There really isn’t a “recipe”.  It is done by feel, ESP, and inner peace.  I learned more about making gravy from watching my mom than from any book or cooking show. 

Pot Gravy

Sometimes you don’t have anything fried.  You might have something baked or you might not have anything at all and just want gravy.  So, you use whatever flavor is at hand (juice and grease from a roasted turkey, perhaps) or something that you can invent and stretch into a pot of gravy when it otherwise might not exist (packaged flavored gravy mix, for example).  Properly done, pot gravy can be delicious, too.  Improperly done it is an abomination and may leave you feeling ceremonially defiled.  When I was a kid in school, the cafeteria lunch lady could make a bowl of slop that would congeal into rocks by the time it reached unwary intestines.  It was widely rumored that the empty concrete mix sacks out in back were not from the shop class, but were from . . . well, we lived through it.

 MANY, MANY DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF GRAVY

Whether it is pan or pot, here are a few of the most loved varieties of this succulent stuff:

Bechamel Sauce

Sounds fancy but really isn’t.  This is probably the most common gravy of all when you get past the title.  It is meat drippings and flour, stirred into a roux (pronounced “roo”) and then finished with milk or water, usually.  The only additions are salt and pepper and they are optional.  Most pan gravies are a variation on this theme.

Giblet Gravy

Bits of turkey or chicken along with a rich stock made from boiling the giblets make up this pot gravy variation.  I used to make it often until my Yankee wife nixed the whole process.  Up north, you see, giblets are cat food.

Mushroom Gravy

A pot gravy made with canned or fresh mushrooms, some stock or broth, thickened with a corn starch slurry or flour/water paste and simmered to a desired thickness.  Goes with almost anything and is really delicious over brown rice.  Health food, I think. 

Onion Gravy

Very finely diced, chopped and sweated onions mixed with stock or dry wine thickened with corn starch or flour.  Often used with things that don’t make good gravy by themselves like lean, dry meats.

Red Eye Gravy

Made from ham drippings in a pan deglazed with strong coffee.  Thin and watery, usually, but delicious with grits or biscuits.  The Loveless Café in Nashville, Tennessee makes the best red eye gravy in the world.  Plan a special trip there if you haven’t been.

Vegetarian Gravy

Vegetable broth, veggie soup cubes and corn starch all stewed together until it gets thick.  If you’re a vegetarian you’re probably not reading this anyway.  I just put it in here because it exists.  Probably slightly better over mashed potatoes than no gravy at all.  Think of it as politically correct gravy.  Definitely health food.  Don’t shoot the messenger.   

Cream Gravy

Sometimes called “sawmill gravy”, this is béchamel sauce (see above) with meat bits (sausage chunks, dried (par boiled) beef, or other meat stuff stirred in.  Black flakes of ground pepper are a common addition as is the use of heavy cream instead of milk.  If you are a fan of SOS (“shingle”) if you’re a military veteran, this is the stuff of dreams.

Brown Gravy

Meat juices, drippings, grease and other tasty stuff cooked on the stovetop at high heat, usually with some vegetable matter like chopped onion then thickened with a milk and flour or a water and flour “slurry”.  The quintessential pot gravy with a Thanksgiving turkey or a juicy beef roast.  If you want it really brown, use Gravy Master™ or brown food coloring to get the hue you like.

Fake Gravy Pouches

Some are really good.  Basically, they’re just the dry ingredients to which you add hot water and stir like crazy so you don’t get lumps.  McCormick and a few other spice companies make pretty good ones.  Dump in some bits of real meat and most folks won’t know you cheated.

Fake Gravy in Cans and Jars

Actually a sort of real gravy that some factory made for you.  Hard to screw up unless you burn it while warming it up.  No soul.  No pride of authorship.  If you make it hide the cans or bottles and probably nobody will notice.  Think of it as the artistic equivalent of paint-by-numbers.  You can even get it in “diet” varieties.  May contain more chemicals than meat.

Fake Gravy My Way

A variation of Mushroom Gravy above.  Boil half a cup of water with two chicken or beef bouillon cubes (depending on what flavor you seek), stirring until dissolved.  Add in one 10.5 oz. can of condensed Cream of Mushroom soup and stir until well combined and heated.  I often also add a small can of mushrooms, drained and chopped up a bit, and some ground black pepper.  Fast, easy and pretty close to the real thing.

White Sauce

Melt some butter or heat several tablespoons of good olive oil in a skillet then mix in all purpose flour to make a roux.  Finish with whole milk until thickened and silky.  Little to no flavor but a great base from which to head elsewhere.  Add finely grated cheese (cheddar, parmesean, asiago romano, etc.) to make a wonderful “gravy” for cauliflower, broccoli, macaroni, or to dump over pasta and meat to make an “al fredo” dish. 

Motorboat Gravy

When you roast something, fill the bottom of the pan with veggies (onions, celery, carrots) and let the meat “drip” its inner essence all over them as it roasts.  When done, remove the meat to rest a bit and dig out your stick blender or alternatively pour the veggies and meat juice into a regular blender or food processor.  Add some extra liquid (stock, consume, or even water) and some thickener like flour or corn starch and flip the switch.  If you’re careful and don’t forget to put the lid on or don’t raise the stick blender out of the “soup” you’ll get some thick, delicious, gravy with a complex flavor.  If you’re not careful you’ll get to clean up the wall.


Tomato Gravy

I’m not going to get into the finer points of Italian cookery here, but suffice to say that tomato products (sauce, puree, paste, dices, etc.) when combined with meat juice make for fine eating and gravy that is red because of tomatoes is still gravy.  You can go the pan or the pot approach.  Do not fear the tomato.

Egg Gravy

Go back to the béchamel sauce again and make it thin and very hot.  Add a well-beaten egg or two very slowly, stirring constantly.  Rich and gooey.  Add a squeeze of lemon and you’ve got something quite similar to Hollandaise used over Eggs Benedict but without the drama that real Hollandaise can cause (it’ll “break” apart if you look at it sideways).

Chocolate Gravy

Make a package of chocolate pudding but instead of refrigerating it, warm it slowly in a saucepan.   Pour it over pound cake, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, French toast, or pancakes for breakfast.  Some pudding brands put the recipe on the box.  You may need to add some sugar or change the amount of milk, depending on the brand.  Alternatively, make the white sauce above and add in cocoa powder and sugar until you get the flavor you want.   Decadent.


IN PRAISE OF GRAVY

All God’s creatures love gravy.  If you don’t believe it, go to the pet food aisle and see how many of the cans say “gravy” on them.  Some dry pet food even makes “gravy” if you put water in it.  My dog thinks leftover greasy water from browning hamburger for chili is “gravy”.  Raccoons wash their food to add moisture because they don’t know how to make gravy.  Premium cat food always has “gravy” in those expensive little cans. 

I think that gravy was discovered by some ancient French cave man who accidentally stuck his thumb into a hot haunch of roasting critter then licked it to ease the pain.  “Voila!” he screamed.  “I inveeent zee graveee”.

I didn’t invent it, but I know it when I see it.  Life without gravy is no life at all.

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Offline Las Vegan Cajun

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« on: February 16, 2015, 03:50:33 PM »
All About Gravy!

Life without gravy is no life at all.

Was it Patrick Henry who said "Give me gravy, or give me death"? :P
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Offline TwoPockets

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2015, 03:53:50 PM »
Great post Hub! I miss my Mom's pan gravy. I have never been able to duplicate it.
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Offline TMB

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2015, 04:00:48 PM »
Once again another wonderful post Hub!

 I to like the powered stuff if I can't make it the old way.   
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Offline Hub

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2015, 04:02:08 PM »
All About Gravy!

Life without gravy is no life at all.

Was it Patrick Henry who said "Give me gravy, or give me death"? :P

OMG, LVC -- you are the ultimate literary editor.  Folks can read your response and know everything important in my somewhat lengthy post  ;)  Love it!

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Offline drholly

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2015, 04:06:06 PM »
Oh my goodness - what a post! Thank you, Hub. I found many ideas here to try (well actually, all of them...  ;) ;D ) Egg gravy is on the short list for breakfast.
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Offline CDN Smoker

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2015, 04:10:37 PM »
From what I've learned over time on this site I am somewhat starting to impress my Mother Inlaw ???

This will help me a lot more Hub ;D

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Offline teesquare

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2015, 04:14:20 PM »
Hub...I hate to point out an omission...but you forgot....WAVY GRAVY :D :D :D...which is both a Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor and some funny/thought provoking quotes...http://www.searchquotes.com/quotes/author/Wavy_Gravy/

So if you have WAVY GRAVY...along side proper gravy with any dinner - you will have ice cream for desert - and reading material for stimulating post-dinner conversation.

Just another benefit of...GRAVY..... ;D
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Offline IR2dum

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2015, 04:47:41 PM »
Hub, great post. Bookmarked.

Offline Pappymn

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GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2015, 04:51:04 PM »
What a great post. Wonderful reference piece. I deleted the veggie gravy, as it is wrong
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Offline sliding_billy

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2015, 04:56:40 PM »
Great info.  Thanks.
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Offline Smokin Don

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2015, 05:11:22 PM »
Great info Hub!!! I love gravy but just seem to be the worst gravy maker and have had many failures. Loved my Mother in laws gravy and wished I had her to make gravy for me several times a week!!! Don
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Offline SmokinKat

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2015, 06:51:07 PM »
Love it!   Very informative, thank you!! 
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Offline Big Dawg

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2015, 07:04:43 PM »
All About Gravy!

Let’s just say it is a sauce, often created to bring joy to a hungry world that would be dry and dull without it. 


I think this just about sums it up. Thank you for all of the tips. Can't wait to give a couple of 'em a try ! ! !





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Offline ACW3

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Re: GOOD GRAVY!
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2015, 07:16:31 PM »
I think everyone pretty well summed up my thoughts on the subject of GRAVY.

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