Ok, so this month is all about British food. I said it and I meant it. But, I also know that no one group can really own gravy – still I’m posting this recipe this month because it’s an important staple for British foods. For example, gravy goes with Sunday roasts, savory pies, and with Yorkshire pudding. Plus, this week’s beef gravy goes perfectly with the earlier post on roast beef.
I’ll be honest with you, I was sort of intimated by making gravy. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it’s because some people smother gravy over everything and if the gravy is bad, then everything is either ruined or left dry. For Thanksgiving this past year, I made everything from scratch except for the gravy. Gasp. So, I promised myself for next year I’d learn how to make gravy.
Truth is, it’s not all that hard. You use the pan drippings from roasting meat, and most of the flavoring is in there already. Then you need to add some flour to thicken and some further liquid (like wine and/or stock) to stretch it farther. I put a lot of wine in my gravy so it came out super dark. You can go with more (or all) stock if you prefer that flavor.
Let me also say, this method works just the same for chicken gravy. Roast your chicken, use the pan drippings, add flour, and add chicken stock or white wine. Cook until it’s the thickness you desire. Don’t be afraid of gravy. Maybe you never were afraid of gravy, maybe it was just me. But still, you can do it.
Adapted from Delicious Magazine.
Messy level: If you’re organized, really not that messy. You’re just adding things to an existing pot and stirring it around until done. Clean and easy!
- juices from cooked roast beef, left in roasting pan
- 2 teaspoons flour (2 teaspoons per 1¼ cup/300 ml of liquid you intend to add)
- ¼ cup/ 60 ml red wine
- 1 cup/ 240 ml beef stock
- When your roast beef joint is cooked remove it from the pan and set it aside to rest.
- If the meat juices have a lot of fat, spoon off the excess. You can leave like a tablespoon or two.
- Take the pan you cooked the meat in and put it on top of a larger burner on the stove. Heat the juices over low to medium heat.
- Once it starts to simmer a bit, add the flour. Stir it into the meat juices and scrape up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Cook for a minute or two until the flour turns golden brown and thickens.
- Now slowly pour in the wine and beef stock. Stir until you have an even smooth consistency.
- Bring the liquid to a boil and let it bubble until it reaches the consistency you like. The longer you leave it the thicker it will be.
- Once the gravy is to your liking, strain the solids out using a fine mesh sieve.
- Put the gravy in a dish or gravy boat and serve.
