I'm a great cook, by why.....

[JOhn]

Can't I make gravy?

I've always been a great cook, and in fact cook 75% of the meals for the family. You name it, and I can damn well cook it.
\But for some frickin reason I can't make gravy for Biscuits & gravy worth a crap

Anyone else have this problem or any suggestions?

[KCWolfman]

Originally Posted by ExtremeChief

I use cooking oil, then add flour, but I don't get it really brown. Put in milk and use a whisk to mix it up. I add the sausage after I've done this, then let cook slowly on low. Dude, making gravy is... well ... gravy.

A little bit of pre-mixed corn starch and water make a good roux to thicken it up as well.

[trndobrd]

OK, here's how you do it:

Brown ground sausage in a large saucepan. Use medium heat, you don't want to scorch your sausage.

With slotted spoon, take out sausage.

Put in about 2 tbs of butter. Melt.

Slowly sift in flour. Mix with fork until consistency of paste. Add pinch of salt.

Slooowly wisk in milk over low heat. Add milk 1/2 cup at a time until you have the desired consistency.

Add plenty of fresh ground black pepper.

Stir in sausage.

Pour over your favorite biscuits.

[Rausch]

Don't you like, owe people some money or something?...

[Rausch]

[i]Can't I make gravy?

I've always been a great cook, and in fact cook 75% of the meals for the family. You name it, and I can damn well cook it.
\But for some frickin reason I can't make gravy for Biscuits & gravy worth a crap

Anyone else have this problem or any suggestions?

__________________
[/b]Don't you like, owe people some money or something?...

[Fire Me Boy!]

I've been cooking for many, many years, and it's been in 2012 that I've finally mastered it and can make gravy consistently well. The roux you start off with is the key.

The wife made a roast last week, and I used the drippings to make the best beef gravy I've ever done. In addition to the drippings, I added some more beef broth, red wine and fresh thyme. It was damn tasty. Made me wish we had some bread to sop up the gravy with.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by trndobrd

OK, here's how you do it:

Brown ground sausage in a large saucepan. Use medium heat, you don't want to scorch your sausage.

With slotted spoon, take out sausage.

Put in about 2 tbs of butter. Melt.

Slowly sift in flour. Mix with fork until consistency of paste. Add pinch of salt.

Slooowly wisk in milk over low heat. Add milk 1/2 cup at a time until you have the desired consistency.

Add plenty of fresh ground black pepper.

Stir in sausage.

Pour over your favorite biscuits.

Pretty much how I do it if.

[pr_capone]

Originally Posted by JOhn

Can't I make gravy?

I've always been a great cook, and in fact cook 75% of the meals for the family. You name it, and I can damn well cook it.

I'd like to order a soufflé please.

[Just Passin' By]

Here's an article you might find helpful, and it's got a recipe from America's Test Kitchen, as well. I posted the recipe, and the link to the article is below it.

Biscuits and sausage gravy

Makes 10 to 12 biscuits

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces and chilled

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces and chilled

11/4 cups buttermilk (see Note)

Sausage gravy (recipe follows)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter and shortening in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl. (Note: If you don't have a food processor, start with the large bowl and cut the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or 2 knives, as you would piecrust.)

3. Stir in the buttermilk until combined.

4. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, 8 to 10 kneads. Pat the dough into a 9-inch circle, about 3/4 -inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds of dough and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Gather the remaining dough, pat into a 3/4-inch-thick circle and cut out remaining biscuits. (You should have 10-12 biscuits total.)

5. Bake until the biscuits begin to rise, about 5 minutes, then rotate the pan and reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. (The biscuits can be stored in a zip-top plastic bag for up to 2 days.) Split biscuits and serve with sausage gravy.

Note: If you don't have buttermilk, whisk 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 11/4 cups milk and let it stand until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Sausage gravy: Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground fennel, 1 teaspoon ground sage and 11/2 teaspoons black pepper in a small bowl. (Note: For a Texas touch, add up to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.) Set aside. Cook 11/2 pounds bulk sausage in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the sausage and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in 3 cups whole milk and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Nutritional analysis per serving, based on 10, biscuits and gravy: 623 calories, 45 grams fat, 38 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams protein, 82 milligrams cholesterol, 947 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 65 percent of calories from fat.

-- "The Cook's Country Cookbook" by the editors at America's Test Kitchen (America's Test Kitchen, $34.95)

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/02...s-upscale.html

[mlyonsd]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

I've been cooking for many, many years, and it's been in 2012 that I've finally mastered it and can make gravy consistently well. The roux you start off with is the key.

The wife made a roast last week, and I used the drippings to make the best beef gravy I've ever done. In addition to the drippings, I added some more beef broth, red wine and fresh thyme. It was damn tasty. Made me wish we had some bread to sop up the gravy with.

Yup. Alton Brown taught me about the roux. Use it all the time now. Always works.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by JOhn

Can't I make gravy?

I've always been a great cook, and in fact cook 75% of the meals for the family. You name it, and I can damn well cook it.
\But for some frickin reason I can't make gravy for Biscuits & gravy worth a crap

Anyone else have this problem or any suggestions?

Cut up some bacon, half a pack into bits or chunks. When it's fully cooked add a tablespoon of flour, keep adding the flour until it looks like paste. Stir constantly. When it looks like a white paste add about 4-5 cups of milk on high. It'll thicken as the heat rises. If its too thick add more milk to thin it out.


If its too thin add more flour. The key is constantly stir the gravy.

[R8RFAN]

Good Old Milk Gravy

3 table spoons of drippings
2 tablespoons of flour...

Mix together in hot pan but don't let it turn brown

Mix in Milk + Salt & Black Pepper

[sedated]

Originally Posted by KCWolfman

A little bit of pre-mixed corn starch and water make a good roux to thicken it up as well.

Im not sure I would use corn starch in gravy. Its a little too...chemical-ish for me, and doesnt have any of the fat flavor.

Anyone ever mixed corn starch with water and microwaved it?

[sedated]

Everyone says milk, but I generally use cream, then water if its too thick after that, which I guess is the same.

What type of milk is everyone using? Whole? 2%? I would assume skim is too thin.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by sedated

Everyone says milk, but I generally use cream, then water if its too thick after that, which I guess is the same.

What type of milk is everyone using? Whole? 2%? I would assume skim is too thin.

2% milk

[R8RFAN]

Originally Posted by sedated

Everyone says milk, but I generally use cream, then water if its too thick after that, which I guess is the same.

What type of milk is everyone using? Whole? 2%? I would assume skim is too thin.

2% or even Non-Fat will thicken fine.... The flour controls the thickness, not the milk