Gravy problem?

[CharlieD]

I am sorry, I know we have a whole bunch of Gravy threads; I've looked at them, but really did not find what I needed. It’s been few years since the first time I have asked for help with flour type gravy here and I have to say I have been making excellent gravy thanks to all the help I got back then. Thank you. My gravy works like a charm. However last night my wife asked me to make some gravy which I was happy to do. The result was how I should say it, weird. I end up with excellent gravy but on the top of it was swimming with fat/oil. I’ve had lumpy gravy, bad tasting gravy, too thick of gravy, to thin too, tasteless, to salty, not salty enough. To watery to oily, but never, never had I had gravy that was made of almost two separate substances. It tasted great, was very good consistency, there were no lumps, but there was that oil swimming on the top, and I could not get rid of it and I could not understand where it’s coming from or why. It was as if flour took needed amount of fat for it to become gravy and rejected the rest of oil I had in the pan. I am all ears, help me please.

 

[Andy M.]

Sounds like you figured it out. There was more fat than the flour could handle. I would have skimmed it off or soaked it into a paper towel laid on top.

 

[taxlady]

Sounds like you figured it out. There was more fat than the flour could handle. I would have skimmed it off or soaked it into a paper towel laid on top.

I was thinking paper towel too.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Maybe it's the moon's influence and gravitational pull right now. Or the way the cookie crumbles ( tho we shouldn't have cookies near the gravy ladle before dinner or what was it you cooked before making gravy.

Yesterday I made a Beef stew. Normally, I trim the beef as I cut into cubes, removing excess fat. Then shake in a season flour, brown the cubes etc and add an extra amount of the leftover seasoned flour in a slurry and stir in with the broth as it slow cooks. Got it all done, added the veggies at the right time so they would be cooked just right. Got set to serve it, and it sat resting while I made a salad or got ready to serve.

A whole lot of oil came to the top of the stew and it was ugly. Don't know where all that fat came from, I used a chuck roast, which was well marbled, but as I say, I cut off what I would consider most of the visible fat. It was slow cooked in the oven many hours, so I am sure it released a lot more fat than if faster cooked.

If the gravy underneath the surface fat is ok, thickness and taste wise, then I would slowly and carefully spoon off as much as possible without disturbing the gravy underneath. You can refrigerate this if you think a lot of gravy was removed too. It can take a while and don't hurry it even though everyone wants to eat.

I thnk with the flour/ thickener, broth and fat ratio the gravy will only absorb so much fat and no more.

I couldn't skim the beef stew, too many lumps of veggies near the surface. I just refrig'ed everything overnight and lifted off fat layers today before reheating. If you have leftover gravy that works too.

 

[Gravy Queen]

What meat did you use Charlie ? I mean did you cook meat then use the juices to make gravy ? Some meats are more fatty . Before I start the gravy process I let my meat juices cool, Making it easier to skim off excess fat first , I hate fatty gravy .

 

[CharlieD]

Neah, no meat. Simple oil, flour, and chicken broth. 2+2+1. Done it many times.

 

[Gravy Queen]

Ah , I never make gravy that way.

 

[CharlieD]

There are many ways to make a gravy

 

[Dawgluver]

Hmm. I make gravy that way too, Charlie. Could it be the oil or flour were old?

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Yes. I make gravy this way too. I don't always achieve meat drippings, like when grilling or making a bonesless skinless chicken parts or even make a meat dish, although it seems like I eat a lot of meats. There are some good flaovored boxed stocks and broths available nowadays.

It's a mystery Charlie. Your formula is pretty standard, as is mine. It should have worked.

 

[justplainbill]

I am sorry, I know we have a whole bunch of Gravy threads; I've looked at them, but really did not find what I needed. It’s been few years since the first time I have asked for help with flour type gravy here and I have to say I have been making excellent gravy thanks to all the help I got back then. Thank you. My gravy works like a charm. However last night my wife asked me to make some gravy which I was happy to do. The result was how I should say it, weird. I end up with excellent gravy but on the top of it was swimming with fat/oil. I’ve had lumpy gravy, bad tasting gravy, too thick of gravy, to thin too, tasteless, to salty, not salty enough. To watery to oily, but never, never had I had gravy that was made of almost two separate substances. It tasted great, was very good consistency, there were no lumps, but there was that oil swimming on the top, and I could not get rid of it and I could not understand where it’s coming from or why. It was as if flour took needed amount of fat for it to become gravy and rejected the rest of oil I had in the pan. I am all ears, help me please.

What was the color of this gravy when you were done making it?

 

[jennyema]

What did your fat/flour mixture look like? Like a paste?

Did you whisk the liquid in like the dickens?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Your ratio fo fat/flour is spot on. however, when I make my flour based gravies, I cook the roux until it is lightly browned, and then start adding the broth, a little at a time while stirring vigorously with a whisk. I continue adding broth until I achieve the consistency I'm looking for.

The only time I've ever had excess oil on top of my gravy was when using a broth that came from a fatty meat, and didn't skim or separate the extra oil from the broth before adding it to my roux.

I wonder if, as with various sauces, if you bring your gravy to too high a temp, could it break, i.e. proteins coagulate, and oils separate out?

The cause of excess oil has to be either too much oil, or the sauce breaking.

Seeeeeeya; Chi9ef Longwind of the North

 

[justplainbill]

What did your fat/flour mixture look like? Like a paste?

Did you whisk the liquid in like the dickens?

+1. Next time try using schmalz instead of oil.

 

[CWS4322]

It sounds as if the oil was not stirred enough before adding the broth. You might have been able to add an egg yolk (tempered). Since yolks contain lecithin, the phospholipid would have (a) bound with the water and the other end of the molecule would have coated the oil, reducing the separation of the two (water and oil).

Now you've made me hungry for something with gravy...

 

[Andy M.]

...if you bring your gravy to too high a temp, could it break, i.e. proteins coagulate, and oils separate out?...

I can't imagine a gravy made with fat, flour and broth breaking. Part of the process if making this kind of gravy is bringing it to a boil. That doesn't break it.

Besides, as Charlies said, the gravy under the fat was right on.

 

[justplainbill]

Gute nacht

 

[jennyema]

I can't imagine a gravy made with fat, flour and broth breaking. Part of the process if making this kind of gravy is bringing it to a boil. That doesn't break it.

Besides, as Charlies said, the gravy under the fat was right on.

You're right. The gravy needs to come to a boil for the flour to thicken it.

I'm guessing that the oil didn't totally emulsify because there wasn't enough mechanical action.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Andy and JennyEmma. You are correct of course. What was I thinking. I was just reaching, and comparing apples to oranges, or rather gravy to cheese sauce in my mind. Thank you for the corrections. So I change my diagnosis to agree with yours, too much fat, or too little mixing.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[menumaker]

It could have been the flour, maybe a lighter grade than usual? anyway, the paper towel method is great in that situation. it soundsas if you are a great gravy maker.Just one of those things!