Biscuits and Gravy (sausage gravy)

Folks, right here’s a crowd pleaser. Who doesn’t like a big o’ plate of B n’ G’s. (Vegans DO NOT count – their not right in the head!) Most people who try to make home made gravy for the first time end up with a lumpy, nasty mess. Then never try again and stick to the powdered kind or the stuff from the jar. The first time my brother George tried (he was about 14) he came out of the kitchen and asked “How many handfuls of gravy would you like?” with a brown lump the consistency of mashed potato’s. And the biscuits: I gotta be honest here – I either use the canned ones or the recipe on the side of the box of Bisquick. Hey, Bisquick biscuits are excellent and easy! This posting is really more about the gravy, and how to make it perfect! And next time you go camping, take along what you’re going to need to make this and watch the eye’s light up when you announce breakfast is ready! Man oh man, B & G for breakfast out campin’, maybe some bacon and eggs to back it up. . . Nice pot of camp fire coffee simmering. Doesn’t get any better.

Start with cooking your sausage. I use Jimmy Dean’s ‘regular’ in the tube. But the cool reality of this recipe is that it works with any type of sausage. Or meat that has a little bit of fat content. (20 – 30%).

Fry up your sausage, keeping the fat in the pan (YEAH, do NOT drain the fat! Leave it, you need it!) Get out your sack of regular ol’ flour. No measuring is required here. Sprinkle the flour over the entire surface of the cooked sausage and grease. Nice even layer, not thick but a even ’dusting’. Powder it just enough to cover all the chunks of meat. Once you’ve done that stir the mixture around until you see no more powder or grease. Let it sit a minute or so. Your heat should be slightly higher than medium. Now stir it around and let it sit again. Do this maybe 2 or 3 times (stirring and letting it sit NOT adding the dusting of flour) until the flour coating on the meat chunks start to turn light brown.

Pour in aprox 3 cups of milk and begin stirring constantly. Nice and slow but never stop. In a minute or two it’s going to start getting nice and thick. When that happens, gradually add small amounts of milk and stir it in until it gets to the thickness you like. Have a taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer 5 to 10 minutes, adding tiny bits of milk if it gets too thick. Your gravy is ready to meet your biscuits.

Camping style biscuits: Make them in your Dutch oven. If you don’t have one, simply make them at home, wait until they reach room temperature and wrap them in foil. As you’re cooking the gravy, place the foil wrap biscuits next to the camp fire, and every so often rotate them. It’s a good job for a kid.

There you go – Biscuits and GRAVY. You’re gonna create a family comfort food that is requested time and time again.

3 Responses to “Biscuits & Gravy (sausage gravy)”