Sausage Gravy
Sausage gravy relies on the rendered fat from breakfast sausage to create a base for a thick, milk-based roux. By cooking the flour until it smells like toasted grain before slowly whisking in cold milk, you ensure a smooth, heavy sauce that coats a biscuit without breaking or clumping.
Don't discard the drippings.
The flavor lives in the rendered fat. If your sausage is very lean and yields less than three tablespoons of fat, supplement it with butter or oil to ensure your flour has enough medium to cook in.
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
What goes in.
- 1 lbground breakfast sausage (sage or pepper-heavy)
- 1/3 cupall-purpose flour
- 3 cupswhole milk, cold
- 1/2 tspcracked black pepper
- to tastesalt
Cooking the flour
After the sausage is browned, sprinkle the flour directly over the meat and fat. Stir constantly for two minutes; you want the raw flour scent to vanish, replaced by a toasted aroma.
The method.
Brown the meat
Place the sausage in the skillet over medium-high heat. Break it into small crumbles with your wooden spoon. Cook until deep brown and no pink remains.
Add the flour
Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and fat. Stir for two minutes to coat every bit of meat.
Incorporate the milk
Pour in half a cup of milk while whisking vigorously to release any browned bits stuck to the skillet. Gradually add the remaining milk.
Simmer to thicken
Reduce heat to low. Continue stirring until the gravy clings to the back of your spoon. If it becomes too thick, splash in a little more milk.
Season
Add the black pepper and taste. Add salt only if the sausage wasn't seasoned enough, as the meat often carries sufficient sodium.
Other turns to take.
Spicy
Add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes during the browning stage.
Herbed
Stir in a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh sage or thyme just before serving.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use cold milk to prevent the flour from forming lumps as it hits the hot pan.
Keep the heat low once the milk is added; high heat can cause the milk to scald on the bottom of the skillet.
If the gravy gets too thick while sitting, whisk in a tablespoon of hot water or milk to loosen it back up.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my gravy turn out lumpy?
You likely added the milk too quickly or didn't whisk enough when the milk first hit the flour-coated sausage. If this happens, pass the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve or use an immersion blender to smooth it out.
Can I use low-fat milk?
The structure of the sauce depends on the milkfat for body. Low-fat milk will result in a thinner, less stable sauce.
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