Biscuits & Gravy

[Lisar]

Okay I can make just about every thing thrown at me except for 2 things. I cant make very good biscuits and I cant make gravy for the life of me. I love homemade biscuits but I just cant seem to make them turn out right. I mean they aren't bad or really hard they just aren't fluffy like I want. Any ideas?

And for Gravy, well I have to use the packets of gravy. My gravy always turns out lumpy. I dont know why. I have tried everything. Any ideas that could help?

Everything else I am pretty good at. I can make a cake taste like heaven but just dont ask me to decorate it. LOL

 

[sattie]

Well... can't help you on the biscuits... I finally gave up and opted for a box of Pioneer mix. I have great biscuits now that is almost like scratch.

As for the gravy, I make a sausage gravy that I just love. I brown 1/2 lb of sausage till lightly brown. Then sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons or more of flour into the sausage. I put enough flour in there to coat the meat and absorb any oil. Then I add milk. I don't know how much, I just eyeball it. But I would say about 2 to 3 cups. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and watch her thicken up! Don't let it go to a rolling boil, just right as it starts to bubble everywhere, then turn it down. It works like a charm every time!

HTH... I'm sure you will get more good tips!

 

[Lisar]

thanks I might try that saturday morning for breakfast

 

[pacanis]

No idea on the biscuits. Mine come from a can.
But on the gravy, I have found the most foolproof method for me is to add the flour to the pan drippings, stir it in as it's cooking and determine how dark you want to let it get, then add chicken or beef stock, whichever you are going for. I never have a problem with lumps this way, but if I add any other liquid to the pan, with the exception of butter or more oil, and then add my flour, even if the liquid is boiling when I add the flour I get lumps. Of course you could make a flour slurry to thicken the pan drippings, but I don't know if the flour cooks up the same way. I like to do it as if I am making a roux.

 

[Jeff G.]

Sausage gravy.. you have the best suggestion already posted.

Brown the meat, sprinkle with flour until when stirred up all the meat has been coated with a bit of flour. Allow that to brown a bit... stir it around to cook all the flour some. That will get rid of that "paste" taste. Be careful, the longer you brown the flour the less it will thicken the milk.

add the milk and bring to a simmer. Stir and allow the gravy to thicken. If it seems it isn't going to thicken enough, mix corn starch in cold milk(should be fairly thin). Add that to the gravy and stir. I have never had lumps in any of my gravies.

 

[pacanis]

Ditto on the sausage gravy method posted twice. I didn't realize you were talking sausage gravy and not any gravy.

 

[sattie]

Pacanis.. I don't think she was talking about sausage gravy. I just offered it up. It is possible that she maybe looking for more of a meatless gravy? In that case, I really don't have a clue... I could make the gravy, but flavor would be a whole other issue.

 

[pacanis]

I was thinking with two posts on sausage gravy, plus the OP did mention biscuits and gravy, with is usually associated with sausage gravy.... I'm thinking they did want a sausage gravy recipe.
Someone had a good pic on here one time, I think they mixed half hot and half breakfast sausage. It made a reddish gravy and looked like it would have a kick to it. I can't remember who that was now, but I don't think they post anymore. It looked like it would be great sausage gravy.

Anyway.....

 

[Dash]

My grandma taught me the old elbow grease way of making biscuits. I'll condense it and just tell you that for fluffier biscuits I sprinkle the flour on the dough not the board, then use my fingers only to slightly flatten it. Then I use an old jelly glass or tin cup as a cutter. Using your fingers instead of a rolling pin leaves pockets of air in the dough and a duller cutter, like a cup or glass that has more rounded edges, doesn't seal the sides like a sharp cutter will do, allowing for more air.

With gravy, the cardinal rule to avoiding lumps is hot and cold. When you add the flour to your drippings you should whisk it over heat. After it's piping hot you add your cold liquid while continuing to whisk. Don't bring back to a boil. Remove from heat source when you see the steam or when you've reached the desired color.

I use an electric stove top because I don't have a gas range (maybe Santa will remember this year) so what may be a minute over flame may take 3-5 on the burner.

 

[Lisar]

I am looking for any kind of gravy not just one kind. I appreciate all the diffrent ideas. I can try them all see how they work and if I can even make them right. Thanks again

 

[Loprraine]

I don't think she was talking about sausage grav

When I hear "biscuits and gravy" I automatically think sausage. Thanks for the recipes.

 

[Jeff G.]

I am looking for any kind of gravy not just one kind. I appreciate all the diffrent ideas. I can try them all see how they work and if I can even make them right. Thanks again

Well, there are different types of gravy. Some involve flour, some don't.
You can make gravy from broth using a roux(flour cooked in a fat i.e. butter) then broth added. You can also dissolve cornstarch in a cold medium (water, milk) stir that into the broth and bring to a boil.

There is meat gravy such as the sausage gravy here(you can do ground beef or chipped beef the same way). Then there is fried meat gravy where you remove the meat, brown the flour in the remaining fats, add you milk and bring up to a boil(fried chicken gravy, cubed steak gravy, ham gravy)...

There are other thickeners that can be used too.. arrowroot, tapioca, etc.

Gravy is one of those soul satisfying comfort foods...

 

[RobsanX]

I make my roux with whatever fat I'm using, and cook it at least 2 minutes on medium to medium high whisking almost constantly. Then I turn down the heat to low and add about 1/4 of the liquid I'm using (broth, milk, etc.) and I whisk it until it's smooth, then I add another 1/4 of the liquid and whisk until smooth, and then the rest of the liquid. Whisk that until it's smooth, turn up the heat to medium and cook until it's bubbling stirring frequently...

I also use a flat whisk which I think helps, but it's not absolutely necessary...

Amazon.com: Cuisipro Silicone Flat Whisk 8" Red: Kitchen & Dining

 

[Katie H]

Another tip...usually when I'm making gravy, I have my liquid at room temp or lightly warmed, never cold.

 

[gadzooks]

I vote sausage gravy for biscuits. I add a splash of Tabasco to mine.

 

[CookinNow]

Biscuits

Lisar

I don't know if you are looking to make biscuits from scratch or not but I always use Bisquick to make my biscuits. Actually, it's not authentic Bisquick. I make my own mix and it works just as good without the transfats.

The biscuits always turn out great. They are not dense but light like you mentioned. Very easy and reliable. Just stir milk into the mix and drop spoonfuls on a baking sheet.

I don't have the recipe handy but if you want it I can find it.

Jeff

 

[Maverick2272]

Ditto on the biscuits, I get em from a can they always turn out better than mine LOL. As for biscuits and gravy, I always think sausage gravy as well, even though I know it can go with a white gravy with pepper in it as well.
Hmm..... sausage gravy n biscuits...... uh... what was the question again?? Lost my train of thought.
If I do gravy from scratch I mix the flour with the fat first then add either milk for white or stock for the others. I use salt and pepper on lighter gravies, maybe a couple of other spices that go with poultry. For brown gravy I add in a cap full of Gravy Master, a cap full of Liquid Smoke, and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce along with the salt and pepper. The fat I use are the drippings from whatever meat I cooked so these things are just to 'compliment' the flavour while adding another dimension to it.
IE I don't like my gravy and meat to taste exactly the same, LOL.
If I make it from a packet for a quick meal night I still add the things listed above to enhance its flavor.

 

[Phil]

Ah, biscuits....

This is baking so everything has to be exact. So let's start of with "about" a cup and half of flour. About a t. of sugar, a rounded t. baking powder, dash of salt, and if your using buttermilk, (you should), 1/2 t. baking soda. Stir those dry ingredients together. Then add about three tablespoons of shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with a fork or pastry cutter. Add just enough buttermilk to make a ball and if it's too sticky, through a little more flour on the mix. Using your palm flatten the dough to about 3/4" thick and invert a glass and cut the biscuits to shape. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for about ten minutes or until slightly brown on top. I've been doing this since I was a kid. They're great.
Gravy: In an iron skillet on medium heat, make a roux from either bacon drippings,(my vote), or some other fat, and an equal amount of flour. It's a 50/50 mix. The roux should contain chunks of sausage or bacon bits. Continue stirring while cooking about a minute. Add a little salt and equal amounts of milk and water until you reach a creamy consistency. You do this enough and tweak it you'll be a pro in no time. Your next project needs to be iron skillet cornbread. You do have an iron skillet? Later and good cooking.

 

[FincaPerlitas]

Making good biscuits isn't that difficult, it just takes a little practice. Here's the basic technique and recipe I originally posted in another thread a few weeks ago:

Biscuits need to cook in a hot (450 degree) oven. If uncertain about your oven, check the temperature with a thermometer. Cook on the center rack (or the the next one above it). If your rack is too high or too low, either the tops or the bottoms are likely to burn before they're done.

I originally posted this recipe several years ago on allrecipes and it has since become one of their top-rated recipes. If interested, the comments and ratings are on allrecipes.com, under the title South Georgia Biscuits. Their editors slightly modified my recipe, without my permission. It annoyed me and I've never submitted to them again. This is the original version I submitted to them. The modified version on allrecipies calls for kneeding the dough, which is an unnecessary step and produces an inferior result.

South Georgia Biscuits

These are traditional hand-formed biscuits as made by my family for generations. Unlike most recipes, they are formed entirely by hand, not rolled and cut. Once you master the technique, you can make them very quickly and will find the texture and appearance to be much better than rolled biscuits.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortning
1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, stir dry ingredients together. Cut in shortning with a pastry blender or by rubbing between your fingers until the mixture resembles course meal. Pour in the milk all at once and stir with a lagre spoon until the dough is evenly moist. It should be sticky. Let it rest for a couple of minutes. No kneeding or turning the dough is necessary. You do this as part of forming the biscuits.

With well-floured hands, pinch off pieces of dough (about 12), and roll them into balls between the palms of your hands. This is also the kneeding process so you need to work the dough a little, not just spoon it out in lumps. If the dough is too sticky to work, sprinkle a little more flour on it but you want to keep it as sticky as possible to produce a light, moist biscuit. Place the balls a couple of inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. With floured knuckles, press each ball down to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake on the center rack of your oven at 450 degrees for 11 to 12 minutes, until browned. Serve hot with butter.

NOTES: Stale baking powder won't rise. Be sure you use fresh, in-date baking powder. If using self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt. To make buttermilk biscuits, add 1/4 tsp baking soda to the other dry ingredients. Buttermilk will make a sticker dough and you may need to sprinkle a little more flour on the dough as you're forming the biscuits. Some people like their biscuits sweet instead of salty. If you're one of them, reduce the salt a little and add some sugar.

 

[pacanis]

That sounds like a pretty simple recipe, Finca, which plays right into my hands. I might halve this and give it a try. I would love to fins a recipe that produces Bob Evans' biscuits. I love those things.