How I Learned to Make Gravy Instead of Wallpaper Paste

When Hubcaps and Gravy started getting requests on how to make gravy; and my husband asked me to write a blog with my gravy recipes, I know he thought it would be easy. Just include my recipes; and I’m done, right? Wrong! It’s not as easy as it sounds. You see, I was taught to cook by my mother and grandmother; and there were some things she taught me to make that just don’t have a written family recipe. Gravy is one of those things. So, I always make gravy without a recipe. That doesn’t help you make gravy though.

I’m sure by now you are thinking that I’m probably not the right person to be telling anyone how to make gravy; and maybe you’re right. However, it’s important for you to know that I am part of a large southern family just filled with excellent cooks. My grandmother, Lula Frances Grogan, was the best cook I have ever known. She knew the secret ingredient that makes everything taste better…Love. My husband always says he can tell when I’ve quickly thrown a dish together without putting in the love.

So, I don’t have the qualifications of a trained chef; but I’m a darn good cook if I do say so myself. I wasn’t always a good cook. If memory serves, I was nineteen years old when I first attempted to make gravy. I had cooked some sausage patties; and was using the drippings for my gravy. I was confident. Just put in the flour and milk, then stir until it thickens. So, I put in the flour…a lot of flour; and I poured in the milk. I stirred. My gravy thickened…quickly. I poured (translation: dumped) it from the skillet into a bowl; and brought it to the table with the spoon standing straight up in the middle. I could have used it for wallpaper paste. I was wondering what the heck happened. My mother and grandmother always made it seem so easy.

Several years and a whole lot of experience later I can now make all kinds of gravy like Sawmill Gravy and Frog-eye gravy (aka red-eye gravy) that is not only edible; but very tasty. Just in case you’re wondering, those are real gravy names. I didn’t make them up. Of course, I absolutely can’t leave out Chocolate Gravy, a southern treat. Here are the recipes:

Sawmill Gravy

1 pound of your favorite breakfast sausage

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Crumble sausage; and cook in an iron skillet until golden brown and done. Remove the sausage and all of the fat except 2 tablespoons. Reduce heat to low. Whisk the flour into the fat; and cook for about 5 minutes. This flour and fat mixture is called a roux (pronounced: “ru”). Pour in the milk very slowly while constantly stirring it into the roux. Return heat to medium-high. Simmer and stir occasionally while the gravy thickens. Scrape up any brown bits that are stuck to the pan for flavor. Taste; and add salt and pepper as desired. Add the cooked sausage; and serve over hot biscuits.

Note: You can use this recipe after frying bacon, chicken, ground beef, pork chops, etc. Of course, don’t crumble in cooked sausage at the end.

Frog-eye Gravy (aka Red-eye Gravy)

According to folklore and not necessarily facts, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), 7th President of the United States, who was an American General at the time, called for his cook to tell him what to prepare for the morning meal. The cook had been drinking "moonshine" the night before and his eyes were rimmed in red. Looking at his red eyes, General Jackson instructed the cook to bring him some country ham with gravy as red as his eyes. Some men nearby heard the general and from then on, ham gravy became "Red Eye Gravy."

Slices of salt-cured country ham
½ cup water
½ cup black coffee

Fry the ham in an iron skillet until done. Remove to a platter; and keep warm. Pour in the black coffee and water. Bring to a boil while stirring and scraping any browned ham bits off the bottom the pan. Boil for 1 – 2 minutes. Pour into heat proof pitcher. Serve with the ham, biscuits, eggs, and grits.

Chocolate Gravy

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

3 – 4 tablespoons cocoa

pinch of salt

¼ to ½ cup cold water

2 cups milk

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients except the salt together in a heavy saucepan. Add just enough cold water to blend the dry ingredients together. Stir until there are no lumps. Stir in the milk until well blended. Place saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter. Cook and stir constantly until gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the salt and vanilla. Serve over hot buttered biscuits. Great with fresh sliced strawberries.

Well there you have it. Just about any kind of gravy you could want to make. If you are looking for a recipe to make gravy to go along with the beautiful turkey you’re roasting for Christmas, click here. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!