Breakfast
Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
Brown the sausage, use its fat to make a roux, and slowly add milk until the gravy looks right. It is much easier than people think.
What to do
The method
- 01
Brown the sausage.
Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and completely cooked through. Do not drain the skillet. The rendered pork fat becomes the base for the roux.
- 02
Look at the pan.
If the sausage is lean and the skillet is nearly dry, add a tablespoon or two of butter.
- 03
Add the flour.
Sprinkle about 1/3 cup flour over the sausage and stir well. Add more as needed, up to about 1/2 cup. You want enough to absorb the visible fat and lightly coat the sausage without leaving the mixture dry and powdery.
- 04
Cook the roux.
Continue stirring for a minute or two to cook the raw taste out of the flour.
- 05
Add the dairy slowly.
Pour in about 3 cups milk or half-and-half a little at a time, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom of the skillet.
- 06
Let it thicken.
Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and continue stirring. Add more milk as needed. Stop when the gravy is slightly thinner than you want—it will continue to thicken as it rests.
- 07
Season and serve.
Add plenty of black pepper. Taste before adding salt because the sausage may already provide enough. Spoon over split warm biscuits and add an egg on the side if that sounds like breakfast.
Use what you have
Milk works. Half-and-half works too.
I usually use half-and-half because I keep it around for coffee and cooking. Choose whichever sausage seasoning you like. If the finished gravy is too thick, add dairy. If it is too thin, simmer it a little longer.