Spicy Sausage Gravy
Biscuits and gravy are, in my mind, synonymous with chilly fall weekend mornings, probably because I usually got the leftovers that resulted from my mom making it for my dad during hunting season. She would make a big skilletful of sausage gravy early on Saturday morning, ladle out enough for us to eat for breakfast, then put the rest into her crock pot, wrap it in a big towel, and pack it into a box alongside a pot of her chili. And off my dad would go to hunting camp.
I don’t make this very often, because it’s not a “healthy” meal, but it’s yummy and filling and nothing can compare to it. There’s definitely no “healthy” stand-in. If you try to make it without the fat, it won’t be the same. So sometimes, I just accept that I’m eating a fat-filled breakfast and make it a point to relish every bite. The next morning, I go back to my fruit and muesli.
I first made biscuits and sausage gravy for Eli after the Irish Jig 5K a few weeks ago (because if anything is a good excuse for a breakfast like this, it’s an early morning race during a blizzard). He pronounced it better than any restaurant biscuits and gravy. I agree.
I am always disappointed in restaurant sausage gravy. It’s never spicy enough for me, probably because my mom’s gravy is the kind that can make your eyes water and your nose run. I don’t understand this – sausage gravy is one of the simplest things out there. There is absolutely no excuse for getting it wrong.
If you don’t like it that spicy, just use sausage and add pepper to taste.
Spicy Sausage Gravy
1 pound spicy ground pork breakfast sausage (preferably grassfed and from your local farmer or butcher)
2 tablespoons unbleached flour
2 cups milk (skim is fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cook the sausage in a deep skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until well-browned. Reduce heat to low. Stir in flour, a tablespoonful at a time, and cook slowly until the flour and fat have thickened and browned. Slowly, add the milk, stirring constantly and increasing the heat a little, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve hot over Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits.
Serves 4-6 people, depending on portion sizes.
