This recipe for white or country gravy (midwest style) is pretty bog standard, but Ben says he loves it. Truthfully I typically just eyeball things, but here’s my stab at getting this recipe down on “paper” so you can try it.
What really makes this gravy is serving it over the top of a giant fluffy biscuit for an indulgent weekend breakfast treat (just make sure you clear your schedule for the rest of the day because you’ll probably need a nap you eat).
Country Gravy
Servings: 6 large servings
This gravy is dead simple and comes together in about 20 minutes. It's half of my Iowa-born partner's favorite breakfast: biscuits & gravy. If you end up making this, just make sure you clear your calendar for the rest of the day because it'll stick to your ribs.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb pork country sausage or breakfast sausage*
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3-4 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp kosher salt Diamond brand, halve if using table salt or different brand
- 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground if possible
Instructions
- Heat up a cast iron skillet (or other heavy bottomed pan) over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook on medium, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is nicely browned, about 10-15 minutes.1.5 lb pork country sausage or breakfast sausage*
- Add butter to the pan with the sausage and let melt. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the meat and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the flour is evenly incorporated/hydrated with fat (this is a rough & tumble roux). Cook for another couple of minutes.4 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- Slowly stream in about 1 cup of milk (it doesn't need to be exact) and stir to combine. The milk should start thickening up fairly quickly. As it thickens, continue to add milk about 1/2 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency (this may be before you use the full 4 cups).3-4 cups whole milk
- Add salt and pepper, plus any additional seasoning to taste.2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper
- Spoon over warm biscuits and serve immediately. As you let the gravy sit, it will begin to thicken up significantly. If this happens, just add a little bit of extra milk, stirring as you go, until you reach the desired consistency.
Notes
* Be sure you're buying raw sausage, not pre-cooked. You can find this kind of sausage at the meat counter or sometimes by the vacuum packed ground beef. If you can't find un-cased sausage, you can use sausage with a casing — you'll just need to squeeze it out of the casing before cooking.