Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.
--
regards, mike
piedmont, The Practical BBQ'r
http://sites.google.com/site/thepracticalbbqr/
(mawil55)

On Apr 4, 3:00 pm, piedmont > wrote:
> Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
> drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
> with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
> I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.
>
Only fat and milk? That doesn't sound right to me. I'd make a roux
first with fat and flour, adding s & p and herbs complementary to the
pork. Then add milk or broth or water to make the gravy. -aem

On 4/4/2010 6:05 PM, aem wrote:
> On Apr 4, 3:00 pm, > wrote:
>> Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
>> drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
>> with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
>> I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.
>>
> Only fat and milk? That doesn't sound right to me. I'd make a roux
> first with fat and flour, adding s& p and herbs complementary to the
> pork. Then add milk or broth or water to make the gravy. -aem
Ahh, a roux, good point! Fat already heavily flavored from seasonings on
pork during cooking so i may skip adding to it.

--
regards, mike
piedmont, The Practical BBQ'r
http://sites.google.com/site/thepracticalbbqr/
(mawil55)

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont wrote:

> Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
> drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
> with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
> I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.

Use fat and any pan scrapings (impostant) to make a quick roux, then
add stock, salt, and pepper to taste. Milk is OK, but you need some
sort of stock or at least soup base/buillion.

-sw

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont > wrote:

>Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
>drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
>with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
>I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.

You don't use all that fat for gravy... pour most off reserving maybe
an ounce to blend with a bit of flour. The gravy is made by
dissolving the fond with some sort of liquid; stock, wine, beer, even
water... I'd not choose milk for fresh pork but some do... scrape and
stir while gently heating until all fond is dissolved, then heat some
to reduce a bit if necessary, then add the fat with flour back a
little at a time to thicken.

In article >,
piedmont > wrote:

> Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
> drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
> with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
> I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.

Brown (may or may not be) gravy:

I have success with flour and water. If there are any brown bits, make
sure you include all you can get. Add the brown bits (hopefully) and the
half cup of fat to a two quart saucepan. Add about a pint and a half of
water and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Flavor with salt
and pepper. If I told you how much salt, it would make you queasy. Start
with a tablespoon. Go from there.
Add about three tablespoons of flour to an eight ounce sealable,
shakeable container and fill to about three quarters full. Put on the
lid and shake thoroughly to completely incorporate.
Take the simmering water-fat base off the stove and mix in the
flour-water while stirring constantly (otherwise you may get mini
dumplings as well). Put the pot back on the stove until the gravy starts
to bubble again. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Adjust salt and
pepper. If you have no brown bits, the gravy will be unnaturally pale.
Kitchen Bouquet is a poor second to adequate brown residue to start
with, but the gravy should taste just fine.
If the gravy is too thin, add more flour-water slurry. If it's too
thick, add more water.
There is nothing healthy about it. It uses too much fat and too much
salt, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Pork gravy is my favorite,
regardless of color.
I usually roast my pork in the same open pan that I used to brown it and
get adequate fond. Sometimes the fond is sparse, but the gravy turns out
excellent anyway. Just kinda gray.

White gravy:

Add about three tablespoons of flour to the pork fat and brown bits if
you have them, and cook on medium high for two to three minutes in a ten
inch cast iron skillet. Add about a pint of milk. Use a whisk to
incorporate the milk and while everything thickens. Salt and pepper to
taste. Again, you will need more salt than you expect. If the mixture is
too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, reduce the volume by
simmering. You will need to stir more than occasionally if you are
thickening, or you may burn the gravy at the bottom of the pan. If you
screw up, don't use that part. Adjust salt and pepper again if needed.

Other stuff can be used to enhance gravy. I just don't.

leo

piedmont wrote:

>> Only fat and milk? That doesn't sound right to me. I'd make a roux
>> first with fat and flour, adding s& p and herbs complementary to the
>> pork. Then add milk or broth or water to make the gravy. -aem
> Ahh, a roux, good point! Fat already heavily flavored from seasonings on
> pork during cooking so i may skip adding to it.
>
I never use milk in gravy. It is stock usually, but veggie or potato
cooking water also is wonderful in gravy.

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont > wrote:

> Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
> drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
> with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
> I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.

Do you usually make milk gravy? I don't, so I wonder if you know what
you're doing.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont > wrote:
>
>> Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
>> drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
>> with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
>> I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.
>
> Do you usually make milk gravy? I don't, so I wonder if you know what
> you're doing.

"Not an expert on gravy and need advice," Duh!

On Apr 4, 10:18*pm, Goomba > wrote:
> piedmont wrote:
> >> Only fat and milk? *That doesn't sound right to me. *I'd make a roux
> >> first with fat and flour, adding s& *p and herbs complementary to the
> >> pork. *Then add milk or broth or water to make the gravy. * *-aem
> > Ahh, a roux, good point! Fat already heavily flavored from seasonings on
> > pork during cooking so i may skip adding to it.
>
> * I never use milk in gravy. It is stock usually, but veggie or potato
> cooking water also is wonderful in gravy.

Sausage 'n Biscuits, and fried chicken = both require a milk-based
gravy. You haven't lived until you've had it....

;-) N.

On Mon, 5 Apr 2010 09:03:59 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
> wrote:

> > > Wayne Boatwright
> >
> > I mentioned milk as I thought that was what my Granny used when she made pan
> > gravy after frying chicken in fat.- Hide quoted text -
> >

>
> She probably did. I think it was very common before there all kinds
> of pre-packaged brown gravy options. It's still my favorite for fried
> chicken. Brown gravy just doesn't do it.

I don't fry chicken anymore, but when I did - I didn't have a clue how
to make milk gravy. How is it made by dumping flour and milk into all
that grease? Sounds disgusting. I never use packaged gravy mix
either. That thought is an ugh too.




--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Mon, 5 Apr 2010 08:00:49 -0400, "piedmont" >
wrote:

> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont > wrote:
> >
> >> Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
> >> drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of fat
> >> with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target, usually
> >> I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me off.
> >
> > Do you usually make milk gravy? I don't, so I wonder if you know what
> > you're doing.
>
> "Not an expert on gravy and need advice," Duh!

Is the point of your post to learn all about milk gravy? How many
people do you plan to feed? I wouldn't use 1/2 of fat/grease unless I
was making gravy for a crowd.



--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Apr 5, 12:52*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Mon, 5 Apr 2010 09:03:59 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
>
> > wrote:
> > > > Wayne Boatwright
>
> > > I mentioned milk as I thought that was what my Granny used when she made pan
> > > gravy after frying chicken in fat.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > She probably did. *I think it was very common before there all kinds
> > of pre-packaged brown gravy options. *It's still my favorite for fried
> > chicken. *Brown gravy just doesn't do it.
>
> I don't fry chicken anymore, but when I did - I didn't have a clue how
> to make milk gravy. *How is it made by dumping flour and milk into all
> that grease? *Sounds disgusting. *I never use packaged gravy mix
> either. *That thought is an ugh too.

Are you thinking of deep-fried chicken? A lifetime ago, we made fried
chicken by frying it in maybe a quarter-inch of... melted vegetable
shortening? We didn't know any better, and I can't quite recall.
There
wasn't much grease left in the pan. A little flour to make a roux,
although
oftentimes enough had simply fallen off the chicken to thicken the
gravy.
Stir in some milk, and wait for it to thicken. Basically a milk-based
pan sauce. Season to taste. Grandma was from Virginia, not the
Deep South.

Cindy Hamilton

On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:50:47 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

> What I do... Drain all fat from the skillet after frying chicken,
> reserving enough to make a standard roux with an equal amount of flour.
> After draining the fat, also scrape all the browned bits from the skillet
> and add to the roux. Cook roux until blond, then add equal amounts of
> chicken broth and milk or light cream. Standard proportions of roux to
> liquid, as for any gravy. It is *not* a greasy gravy.

OK, so it's basically a standard flour gravy with milk. I'll try that
sometime. Haven't put coated chicken with flour in years, so I'll
make it the regular way I do now... but add milk to the gravy.
Thanks.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Apr 5, 12:27*pm, Cindy Hamilton >
wrote:
> On Apr 5, 12:52*pm, sf > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 5 Apr 2010 09:03:59 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
>
> > > wrote:
> > > > > Wayne Boatwright
>
> > > > I mentioned milk as I thought that was what my Granny used when she made pan
> > > > gravy after frying chicken in fat.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > She probably did. *I think it was very common before there all kinds
> > > of pre-packaged brown gravy options. *It's still my favorite for fried
> > > chicken. *Brown gravy just doesn't do it.
>
> > I don't fry chicken anymore, but when I did - I didn't have a clue how
> > to make milk gravy. *How is it made by dumping flour and milk into all
> > that grease? *Sounds disgusting. *I never use packaged gravy mix
> > either. *That thought is an ugh too.
>
> Are you thinking of deep-fried chicken? *A lifetime ago, we made fried
> chicken by frying it in maybe a quarter-inch of... melted vegetable
> shortening? *We didn't know any better, and I can't quite recall.
> There
> wasn't much grease left in the pan. *A little flour to make a roux,
> although
> oftentimes enough had simply fallen off the chicken to thicken the
> gravy.
> Stir in some milk, and wait for it to thicken. *Basically a milk-based
> pan sauce. *Season to taste. *Grandma was from Virginia, not the
> Deep South.
>
> Cindy Hamilton- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Well, we'uns are from the midwest - north central, really - and milk
gravy for fried chicken and for sausage 'n biscuits was common with
our family back in the day. Don't say "ugh," SF, until you've tried
it. ;-)

N.

In news:rec.food.cooking, brooklyn1 > posted on
Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:50:21 -0400 the following:

> On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont > wrote:
>
> > Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
> > drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of
> > fat with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target,
> > usually I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me
> > off.
>
> You don't use all that fat for gravy... pour most off reserving maybe an
> ounce to blend with a bit of flour. The gravy is made by dissolving the
> fond with some sort of liquid; stock, wine, beer, even water... I'd not
> choose milk for fresh pork but some do... scrape and stir while gently
> heating until all fond is dissolved, then heat some to reduce a bit if
> necessary, then add the fat with flour back a little at a time to
> thicken.

I've found that 1/4 cup of fat, 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux, then 2
cups of liquid makes a middle of the road gravy that's not too thick, and
not too thin.

If you're making a dark brown gravy, and must brown the flour until it's
really dark, I think you have to add a little more flour or it won't
thicken correctly. But I usually make white sauce, anyway. If I do make
a brown gravy, I get out of having to add more flour by browning the flour
/some/, then I cheat a little by adding a little cocoa powder before
adding two cups of beef broth. The nice part is that unsweetened cocoa
powder is a nice flavoring for red meats, anyway, so it even enhances the
taste of gravy, as well.

Damaeus
--
"Marijuana leads to homosexuality ... and therefore to AIDS."
White House Drug Czar Carlton Turner 1986

In news:rec.food.cooking, Wayne Boatwright
> posted on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:35 GMT
the following:

> Hope you like it. It's pretty standard fare in the South, especially at
> Sunday dinner. Southerners are more likely to serve white rice with it
> than mashed potatoes. The gravy is very good on the rice.

I don't like white rice with "milk gravy". The only kind of gravy I like
on rice is brown gravy. To me, even brown gravy "mix" is better on rice
than milk gravy.

Damaeus
--
"Marijuana leads to homosexuality ... and therefore to AIDS."
White House Drug Czar Carlton Turner 1986

On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:17:21 -0500, Damaeus
> wrote:

>In news:rec.food.cooking, brooklyn1 > posted on
>Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:50:21 -0400 the following:
>
>> On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont > wrote:
>>
>> > Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
>> > drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of
>> > fat with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target,
>> > usually I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me
>> > off.
>>
>> You don't use all that fat for gravy... pour most off reserving maybe an
>> ounce to blend with a bit of flour. The gravy is made by dissolving the
>> fond with some sort of liquid; stock, wine, beer, even water... I'd not
>> choose milk for fresh pork but some do... scrape and stir while gently
>> heating until all fond is dissolved, then heat some to reduce a bit if
>> necessary, then add the fat with flour back a little at a time to
>> thicken.
>
>I've found that 1/4 cup of fat, 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux, then 2
>cups of liquid makes a middle of the road gravy

Depends on the strength of the fond... no point in diluting further...
1/4 cup of flour is a lot, we're not making library paste.

In news:rec.food.cooking, brooklyn1 > posted on
Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:15:29 -0400 the following:

> On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:17:21 -0500, Damaeus
> > wrote:
>
> > I've found that 1/4 cup of fat, 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux, then
> > 2 cups of liquid makes a middle of the road gravy
>
> Depends on the strength of the fond... no point in diluting further...
> 1/4 cup of flour is a lot, we're not making library paste.

It doesn't make library paste with the proportions I mentioned. If I was
providing quantities for library paste, I would have suggested 3/4 cup of
flour. The proportions I mentioned are foolproof. It's a good "first
try" at making gravy, then you can add or subtract flour on your next
attempt to get what you want.

Damaeus
--
"Marijuana leads to homosexuality ... and therefore to AIDS."
White House Drug Czar Carlton Turner 1986

On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:35 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

> Hope you like it. It's pretty standard fare in the South, especially at
> Sunday dinner. Southerners are more likely to serve white rice with it
> than mashed potatoes. The gravy is very good on the rice.

My husband loves rice, so that would be fine by him... I just need to
make sure there's as little fat as possible in the gravy.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Apr 5, 5:21*pm, Damaeus > wrote:
> In news:rec.food.cooking, Wayne Boatwright
> > posted on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:35 GMT
> the following:
>
> > Hope you like it. *It's pretty standard fare in the South, especially at
> > Sunday dinner. *Southerners are more likely to serve white rice with it
> > than mashed potatoes. *The gravy is very good on the rice.
>
> I don't like white rice with "milk gravy". *The only kind of gravy I like
> on rice is brown gravy. *To me, even brown gravy "mix" is better on rice
> than milk gravy.

Gravy mix is an abomination. I had my own gravy problem tonight. To
be sure, I love my wife way more than I love turkey gravy, but I wish
that she wouldn't come home and see a Corning Ware dish with a little
gravy left in it on the stove, and put it in the sink and run water
into it. That *was* still good gravy, however it looked to her. She
has promised never to do it again.
>
> Damaeus

--Bryan

In news:rec.food.cooking, Food Snob+AK4- > posted on
Mon, 5 Apr 2010 19:38:09 -0700 (PDT) the following:

> On Apr 5, 5:21+AKA-pm, Damaeus > wrote:
> > In news:rec.food.cooking, Wayne Boatwright
> > > posted on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:35
> > GMT the following:
> >
> > > Hope you like it. +AKA-It's pretty standard fare in the South,
> > > especially at Sunday dinner. +AKA-Southerners are more likely to serve
> > > white rice with it than mashed potatoes. +AKA-The gravy is very good on
> > > the rice.
> >
> > I don't like white rice with "milk gravy". +AKA-The only kind of gravy I
> > like on rice is brown gravy. +AKA-To me, even brown gravy "mix" is better
> > on rice than milk gravy.
>
> Gravy mix is an abomination.

I know people who can't even make a smooth gravy using a mix. The only
gravy mix I occasionally use is Tone's Brown Gravy Mix, and it's not
because I can't make brown gravy. I can. That particular gravy mix just
has a taste that goes really well with rice, or with beef, onions and
green peppers. If I could duplicate it with real foodstuffs, I would. But
then, I haven't even tried.

Damaeus
--
"Marijuana leads to homosexuality ... and therefore to AIDS."
White House Drug Czar Carlton Turner 1986

In article 7>,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> > I mentioned milk as I thought that was what my Granny used when she made
> > pan gravy after frying chicken in fat.
> >
> >
>
> Milk is probably what my grandmother used too. My mother used light cream.
> Not a huge difference, really.

My mom used small amounts of heavy cream...
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Mon, 5 Apr 2010 09:03:59 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
> > wrote:
>
> > > > Wayne Boatwright
> > >
> > > I mentioned milk as I thought that was what my Granny used when she made
> > > pan
> > > gravy after frying chicken in fat.- Hide quoted text -
> > >
>
> >
> > She probably did. I think it was very common before there all kinds
> > of pre-packaged brown gravy options. It's still my favorite for fried
> > chicken. Brown gravy just doesn't do it.
>
> I don't fry chicken anymore, but when I did - I didn't have a clue how
> to make milk gravy. How is it made by dumping flour and milk into all
> that grease? Sounds disgusting. I never use packaged gravy mix
> either. That thought is an ugh too.

Mixing flour with the chicken drippings is how you make a pan roux. ;-)
Dilute it a bit with some stock (or vermouth or wine) and add a little
heavy cream to the final mix after it is smooth.

Salt and pepper to taste and add other flavorings/spices as desired. Mom
never had to add any additional as the chicken was already flavored
enough.

Mom's most common additions to the chicken as it was frying were pepper,
granulated garlic, onion powder and a small amount of rosemary.

The gravy went over spuds.

Gods. Thanks for the memories! ;-d
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

In article
>,
Cindy Hamilton > wrote:

> On Apr 5, 12:52*pm, sf > wrote:
> > On Mon, 5 Apr 2010 09:03:59 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
> >
> > > wrote:
> > > > > Wayne Boatwright
> >
> > > > I mentioned milk as I thought that was what my Granny used when she
> > > > made pan
> > > > gravy after frying chicken in fat.- Hide quoted text -
> >
> > > She probably did. *I think it was very common before there all kinds
> > > of pre-packaged brown gravy options. *It's still my favorite for fried
> > > chicken. *Brown gravy just doesn't do it.
> >
> > I don't fry chicken anymore, but when I did - I didn't have a clue how
> > to make milk gravy. *How is it made by dumping flour and milk into all
> > that grease? *Sounds disgusting. *I never use packaged gravy mix
> > either. *That thought is an ugh too.
>
> Are you thinking of deep-fried chicken? A lifetime ago, we made fried
> chicken by frying it in maybe a quarter-inch of... melted vegetable
> shortening? We didn't know any better, and I can't quite recall.
> There
> wasn't much grease left in the pan. A little flour to make a roux,
> although
> oftentimes enough had simply fallen off the chicken to thicken the
> gravy.
> Stir in some milk, and wait for it to thicken. Basically a milk-based
> pan sauce. Season to taste. Grandma was from Virginia, not the
> Deep South.
>
> Cindy Hamilton

Mom started her fried chicken in a dry cast iron pan. There is a lot of
fat in chicken skin and by the time she was done, there was plenty of
chicken "grease" in the pan to make the roux gravy. She told me that
chicken cooked just fine in it's own fat and no additional oil was
needed in the pan to start. It's true.

I've followed that all my life and it works if I wanted to make a
standard fat/flour roux gravy. Plus, it makes the chicken lower in fat
once it is cooked.

There is nothing that says you HAVE to do anything with the chicken fat
left over in the pan. ;-) You can pour off that fat, leave the fond and
deglaze with stock or booze, then add spices or milk according to your
taste, then thicken with corn starch if you are trying to keep the fat
content in your diet low.

There is more than one way to skin a chicken. <g>
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

In article >,
Damaeus > wrote:

> In news:rec.food.cooking, brooklyn1 > posted on
> Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:50:21 -0400 the following:
>
> > On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont > wrote:
> >
> > > Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
> > > drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of
> > > fat with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target,
> > > usually I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me
> > > off.
> >
> > You don't use all that fat for gravy... pour most off reserving maybe an
> > ounce to blend with a bit of flour. The gravy is made by dissolving the
> > fond with some sort of liquid; stock, wine, beer, even water... I'd not
> > choose milk for fresh pork but some do... scrape and stir while gently
> > heating until all fond is dissolved, then heat some to reduce a bit if
> > necessary, then add the fat with flour back a little at a time to
> > thicken.
>
> I've found that 1/4 cup of fat, 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux, then 2
> cups of liquid makes a middle of the road gravy that's not too thick, and
> not too thin.
>
> If you're making a dark brown gravy, and must brown the flour until it's
> really dark, I think you have to add a little more flour or it won't
> thicken correctly. But I usually make white sauce, anyway. If I do make
> a brown gravy, I get out of having to add more flour by browning the flour
> /some/, then I cheat a little by adding a little cocoa powder before
> adding two cups of beef broth. The nice part is that unsweetened cocoa
> powder is a nice flavoring for red meats, anyway, so it even enhances the
> taste of gravy, as well.
>
> Damaeus

I've never used Cocoa in gravies. Might have to give that a shot. I
have used leftover coffee and it's wonderful.

A little soy or oyster sauce can also be used to darken a gravy, and it
adds it's own dimension of flavor. Just go light with it as it's pretty
salty.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

In article >,
brooklyn1 > wrote:

> On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:17:21 -0500, Damaeus
> > wrote:
>
> >In news:rec.food.cooking, brooklyn1 > posted on
> >Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:50:21 -0400 the following:
> >
> >> On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:00:49 -0400, piedmont > wrote:
> >>
> >> > Not an expert on gravy and need advice, I got basically pure fat
> >> > drippings from my pork shoulder, I was thinking to dilute 1/2 cup of
> >> > fat with 1/2 cup of milk, then use that for gravy, am i off target,
> >> > usually I use dripping from a bird but the pure fat is throwing me
> >> > off.
> >>
> >> You don't use all that fat for gravy... pour most off reserving maybe an
> >> ounce to blend with a bit of flour. The gravy is made by dissolving the
> >> fond with some sort of liquid; stock, wine, beer, even water... I'd not
> >> choose milk for fresh pork but some do... scrape and stir while gently
> >> heating until all fond is dissolved, then heat some to reduce a bit if
> >> necessary, then add the fat with flour back a little at a time to
> >> thicken.
> >
> >I've found that 1/4 cup of fat, 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux, then 2
> >cups of liquid makes a middle of the road gravy
>
> Depends on the strength of the fond... no point in diluting further...
> 1/4 cup of flour is a lot, we're not making library paste.

I've never used more than 2 Tbs.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:35 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
> > Hope you like it. It's pretty standard fare in the South, especially at
> > Sunday dinner. Southerners are more likely to serve white rice with it
> > than mashed potatoes. The gravy is very good on the rice.
>
> My husband loves rice, so that would be fine by him... I just need to
> make sure there's as little fat as possible in the gravy.

Pour off the chicken fat and just use the fond.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

On Apr 5, 10:27*pm, Omelet > wrote:
> In article >,
>
> *sf > wrote:
> > On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:35 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > > wrote:
>
> > > Hope you like it. It's pretty standard fare in the South, especially at
> > > Sunday dinner. *Southerners are more likely to serve white rice with it
> > > than mashed potatoes. *The gravy is very good on the rice.
>
> > My husband loves rice, so that would be fine by him... I just need to
> > make sure there's as little fat as possible in the gravy.
>
> Pour off the chicken fat and just use the fond.

Or at least most of it. And save the fat to fry up your next batch.

> --
> Peace! Om

--Bryan

On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:23:19 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

> There is nothing that says you HAVE to do anything with the chicken fat
> left over in the pan. ;-) You can pour off that fat, leave the fond and
> deglaze with stock or booze, then add spices or milk according to your
> taste, then thicken with corn starch if you are trying to keep the fat
> content in your diet low.
>
> There is more than one way to skin a chicken. <g>

That sounds palatable. I make regular gravy the regular way and add
milk (if I think of it) the next time I cook chicken... and serve it
with rice.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:27:29 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:35 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > Hope you like it. It's pretty standard fare in the South, especially at
> > > Sunday dinner. Southerners are more likely to serve white rice with it
> > > than mashed potatoes. The gravy is very good on the rice.
> >
> > My husband loves rice, so that would be fine by him... I just need to
> > make sure there's as little fat as possible in the gravy.
>
> Pour off the chicken fat and just use the fond.

Roger!

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:17:55 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

> Mixing flour with the chicken drippings is how you make a pan roux. ;-)
> Dilute it a bit with some stock (or vermouth or wine) and add a little
> heavy cream to the final mix after it is smooth.

OK, this is method isn't disgusting. It's regular gravy with some
milk/cream.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:23:19 -0500, Omelet >
> wrote:
>
> > There is nothing that says you HAVE to do anything with the chicken fat
> > left over in the pan. ;-) You can pour off that fat, leave the fond and
> > deglaze with stock or booze, then add spices or milk according to your
> > taste, then thicken with corn starch if you are trying to keep the fat
> > content in your diet low.
> >
> > There is more than one way to skin a chicken. <g>
>
> That sounds palatable. I make regular gravy the regular way and add
> milk (if I think of it) the next time I cook chicken... and serve it
> with rice.

<lol> I hope it works for you!
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:17:55 -0500, Omelet >
> wrote:
>
> > Mixing flour with the chicken drippings is how you make a pan roux. ;-)
> > Dilute it a bit with some stock (or vermouth or wine) and add a little
> > heavy cream to the final mix after it is smooth.
>
> OK, this is method isn't disgusting. It's regular gravy with some
> milk/cream.

Yes. And you can use low fat milk if that is your goal. Granted, I
tend to prefer 1/2 and 1/2 or a little cream, but that's just me. A
little goes a long way for flavor.

Some people use artificial fat free creamer, but I've never tried that
and am a bit leery about chemicals vs. food. <g>
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"We're all adults here, except for those of us who aren't." --Blake Murphy

In news:rec.food.cooking, Omelet > posted on Mon, 05
Apr 2010 22:27:29 -0500 the following:

> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:35 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > Hope you like it. It's pretty standard fare in the South,
> > > especially at Sunday dinner. Southerners are more likely to serve
> > > white rice with it than mashed potatoes. The gravy is very good on
> > > the rice.
> >
> > My husband loves rice, so that would be fine by him... I just need to
> > make sure there's as little fat as possible in the gravy.
>
> Pour off the chicken fat and just use the fond.

What is "fond", anyway? I thought maybe you were using that as a short
name for "foundation", but why should I guess when I could simply ask?

Damaeus
--
"Marijuana leads to homosexuality ... and therefore to AIDS."
White House Drug Czar Carlton Turner 1986

On Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:15:17 -0500, Damaeus
> wrote:


>What is "fond", anyway? I thought maybe you were using that as a short
>name for "foundation", but why should I guess when I could simply ask?
>
>Damaeus

You aren't far off. Fond is French, and it might mean foundation, but
I don't speak French, so I don't know. However, it is the foundation
for a lot of things.

Fond is/are the brown bits left in the pan after you saute/brown
something. All the brown stuff that is left there. That is the basis
for building a sauce, gravy, soup, etc. When you deglaze a pan, you
are adding liquid to that fond, and getting it to dissolve/meld into
the liquid.

The liquid can be almost anything: water, wine, etc. When you are
ready to deglaze your pan (and the fond) add your liquid to the pan
over medium to high heat and stir and scrape all that brown goodness
into the liquid. Do this after you pour off all the fat. A flat
whisk is good for this..

A fond doesn't really develop when you use a non-stick pan, so if you
do want a fond for a sauce, gravy, whatever, it is better to use some
other type of pan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fond

Christine

On Apr 5, 11:23*pm, Omelet > wrote:
> In article
> >,
> *Cindy Hamilton > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 5, 12:52*pm, sf > wrote:
> > > On Mon, 5 Apr 2010 09:03:59 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > > Wayne Boatwright
>
> > > > > I mentioned milk as I thought that was what my Granny used when she
> > > > > made pan
> > > > > gravy after frying chicken in fat.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > > She probably did. *I think it was very common before there all kinds
> > > > of pre-packaged brown gravy options. *It's still my favorite for fried
> > > > chicken. *Brown gravy just doesn't do it.
>
> > > I don't fry chicken anymore, but when I did - I didn't have a clue how
> > > to make milk gravy. *How is it made by dumping flour and milk into all
> > > that grease? *Sounds disgusting. *I never use packaged gravy mix
> > > either. *That thought is an ugh too.
>
> > Are you thinking of deep-fried chicken? *A lifetime ago, we made fried
> > chicken by frying it in maybe a quarter-inch of... melted vegetable
> > shortening? *We didn't know any better, and I can't quite recall.
> > There
> > wasn't much grease left in the pan. *A little flour to make a roux,
> > although
> > oftentimes enough had simply fallen off the chicken to thicken the
> > gravy.
> > Stir in some milk, and wait for it to thicken. *Basically a milk-based
> > pan sauce. *Season to taste. *Grandma was from Virginia, not the
> > Deep South.
>
> > Cindy Hamilton
>
> Mom started her fried chicken in a dry cast iron pan.

Did she flour it first? Either deep or shallow fried, I'd expect
the chicken to be floured. IIRC we used flour with salt, pepper
and paprika.

Cindy Hamilton

On Apr 5, 2:13*pm, Wayne Boatwright >
wrote:
> On Mon 05 Apr 2010 11:08:44a, sf told us...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:50:47 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > > wrote:
>
> >> What I do... *Drain all fat from the skillet after frying chicken,
> >> reserving enough to make a standard roux with an equal amount of flour.. *
> >> After draining the fat, also scrape all the browned bits from the
> skillet
> >> and add to the roux. *Cook roux until blond, then add equal amounts of
> >> chicken broth and milk or *light cream. *Standard proportions of roux to
> >> liquid, as for any gravy. *It is *not* a greasy gravy.
>
> > OK, so it's basically a standard flour gravy with milk. *I'll try that
> > sometime. *Haven't put coated chicken with flour in years, so I'll
> > make it the regular way I do now... but add milk to the gravy.
> > Thanks.
>
> Hope you like it. It's pretty standard fare in the South, especially at
> Sunday dinner. *Southerners are more likely to serve white rice with it
> than mashed potatoes. *The gravy is very good on the rice.
>
> --
>

That gravy is good on lots of things ;-)

N.

In article >,
Damaeus > wrote:

> In news:rec.food.cooking, Omelet > posted on Mon, 05
> Apr 2010 22:27:29 -0500 the following:

> > Pour off the chicken fat and just use the fond.
>
> What is "fond", anyway? I thought maybe you were using that as a short
> name for "foundation", but why should I guess when I could simply ask?

No sense guessing. Look it up. That way you'll know the real answer,
not what somebody else might guess. My dictionary failed me, but:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fond

The pan scrapings.

"Foundation" was close. The French word for "base".

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:13:04 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:23:19 -0500, Omelet >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > There is nothing that says you HAVE to do anything with the chicken fat
> > > left over in the pan. ;-) You can pour off that fat, leave the fond and
> > > deglaze with stock or booze, then add spices or milk according to your
> > > taste, then thicken with corn starch if you are trying to keep the fat
> > > content in your diet low.
> > >
> > > There is more than one way to skin a chicken. <g>
> >
> > That sounds palatable. I make regular gravy the regular way and add
> > milk (if I think of it) the next time I cook chicken... and serve it
> > with rice.
>
> <lol> I hope it works for you!

After I hit send, I realized how to make it the real way... it's like
the gravy with sausage gravy, right? So it's a béchamel made with
animal fat, not butter.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.