How do you make gravy?

Gravy, reasonably thick, is a big deal in this house when we do roasts. Can’t imagine the rebellion if there was no gravy and everyone likes a lot & is quite likely to go back for seconds with bread.

If I’m roasting a piece of pork I’ll set it on a bed of sliced onions, apples & fresh sage that’s been tossed with some salt, pepper, oil & a splash of white wine.

Once the joint has had an hour or so I’ll add the veg - carrots, pumpkin, potato etc.

When I take the meat out to rest, I put the veg on a tray & back in the oven.

I put the roasting pan on the stove & if the onion mix is still a little blonde I’ll fry it off for a few minutes before deglazing with white wine, then add water and simmer for a few more minutes.

Then I’ll mix a basic brown gravy powder (corn flour, colour & very bland “flavour” ?) with milk to a slurry. Add that to the pan and while my partner stirs I taste and season for salt, pepper and I may add a spoon of apple chilli jelly (my own preserve) or if it’s lacking I might add a teaspoon of Vegeta or a chicken stock cube.

Usually we end up with about a litre of thick brown gravy.

If it’s chicken the trivet might be carrot, whole peeled garlic & thyme.

If it’s lamb then I’ll use onion, garlic & rosemary & deglaze with red wine.

The only time I serve a thinner gravy is with roast beef. Can’t explain why.
 
Frizz1974 said:
Gravy, reasonably thick, is a big deal in this house when we do roasts. Can’t imagine the rebellion if there was no gravy and everyone likes a lot & is quite likely to go back for seconds with bread.

If I’m roasting a piece of pork I’ll set it on a bed of sliced onions, apples & fresh sage that’s been tossed with some salt, pepper, oil & a splash of white wine.

Once the joint has had an hour or so I’ll add the veg - carrots, pumpkin, potato etc.

When I take the meat out to rest, I put the veg on a tray & back in the oven.

I put the roasting pan on the stove & if the onion mix is still a little blonde I’ll fry it off for a few minutes before deglazing with white wine, then add water and simmer for a few more minutes.

Then I’ll mix a basic brown gravy powder (corn flour, colour & very bland “flavour” ?) with milk to a slurry. Add that to the pan and while my partner stirs I taste and season for salt, pepper and I may add a spoon of apple chilli jelly (my own preserve) or if it’s lacking I might add a teaspoon of Vegeta or a chicken stock cube.

Usually we end up with about a litre of thick brown gravy.

If it’s chicken the trivet might be carrot, whole peeled garlic & thyme.

If it’s lamb then I’ll use onion, garlic & rosemary & deglaze with red wine.

The only time I serve a thinner gravy is with roast beef. Can’t explain why.
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I like a thinner gravy that resembles an au jus with roast beef, especially if I am slicing it thin for sandwiches. The only time I like a thicker beef gravy is for mashed potatoes.
 
Morning Glory said:
How would you put gravy in a sandwich?
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You don't. It's for dipping. We call this sandwich a French Dip, although I have no idea if they serve this sandwich anywhere in France or other parts of Europe.

Edited to add that you can put gravy on a sandwich, my husband does it every once in awhile. He makes the sandwich open-faced and puts gravy on both sides.

For the French Dip, you make the thin gravy (an au jus) and make the sandwich on a crusty roll (over here we call them hoagies) like this:

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Morning Glory said:
How would you put gravy in a sandwich?
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Some probably like to put the gravy in or on the sandwich.Usually if one slice of bread or toast is used, it's called an open-face. In this case, the gravy is poured over the beef, pork or chicken, depending on what you like. :whistling:
 
Master Cutler said:
Another fan of vinegar in gravy here to give it that special "edge" and bring out the meat flavours. Beef gravy and lamb gravy it's malt vinegar, pork and chicken gravy it's cider vinegar. Only a couple of table spoons full in a pan of gravy hits the spot.
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And it's good for you! But I am all about taste as well. If it doesn't taste good, why bother!
 
Morning Glory said:
Its a new one on me. Delicious it might be but I don't think this is at all French!
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You're right. It's the crusty bread it turns out. Whoever invented it used a crusty French baguette-style bread. But it really is good!
 
Master Cutler said:
Another fan of vinegar in gravy here to give it that special "edge" and bring out the meat flavours. Beef gravy and lamb gravy it's malt vinegar, pork and chicken gravy it's cider vinegar. Only a couple of table spoons full in a pan of gravy hits the spot.
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The only way that I would have vinegar in a gravy is if the meat was marinated first before cooking & it included vinegar as one of the ingredients, such as sauerbrautin or a pork shoulder. Other than that, I don't put vinegar in a normal gravy. :whistling:
 
GadgetGuy said:
The only way that I would have vinegar in a gravy is if the meat was marinated first before cooking & it included vinegar as one of the ingredients, such as sauerbrautin or a pork shoulder. Other than that, I don't put vinegar in a normal gravy. :whistling:
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I dont use much and it's very subtle. You probably wouldn't notice much difference.
 
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