OT: Homemade Gravy or Gravy from a Jar
I am an excellent cook and generally make everything from scratch: salad dressing , barbecue sauce, even ketchup on special occasions. Gravy, however, has always been a bit of a question mark for me. I suppose deep down I prefer the taste of homemade gravy, but I also occasionally find it too oleaginous, lumpy, or even pasty at times. I would love to hear what other fans of Michigan sports think. Do you take the time to really make the gravy special, or do you take the safe route and buy it ready made?
January 16th, 2019 at 8:38 AM ^
Gravy from a jar is gross.
January 16th, 2019 at 3:25 PM ^
Seriously! How is this even a question?
January 16th, 2019 at 4:41 PM ^
What about homemade gravy that's been put into a jar? Is it still gross then?
January 16th, 2019 at 9:28 AM ^
Well done. GIF of the morning so far.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:39 AM ^
I don't know anyone who makes salad dressing, bbq sauce, or ketchup from scratch, but 90% of the people I know make gravy from scratch. So final answer - homemade gravy.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:50 AM ^
I doubt it’s 90%.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:24 AM ^
My in-laws are only ones I know who use gravy from a jar. Gravy is not something that comes up in most discussions though.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:01 AM ^
making salad dressing from scratch is the easiest thing in the world. It's such a waste not to. Oil and Vinegar with something to emulsify it like honey or mustard. Salt, pepper. If you want, grated/minced garlic and other herbs. It just takes a couple minutes to put together
January 16th, 2019 at 9:43 AM ^
Yep. I squeeze half of a lemon into a glass bowl. And a little dijon (tbs or so) and some salt. Then add olive oil while whisking until you like the taste. You don't even have to emulsify it. Julia Child's cookbook recommends making it in a jar and just shaking it up when you are ready to use.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:09 AM ^
I assure you, you know people who make salad dressing from scratch.
January 16th, 2019 at 3:13 PM ^
Homemade vinaigrette is life-changing: 1 part acid (lemon juice, red wine vin) to 3 parts extra virgin olive oil. Shallots, bit of Dijon mustard, et voila!
January 16th, 2019 at 7:15 PM ^
I like to cook, and make all three. But when not convenient I’ll go to a jar/bottle for all three too.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:39 AM ^
The discussion of gravy-related board topics means it's officially OT-non football season at Mgoblog.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:55 AM ^
Common now. I cant speak for everyone here but I know whenever I've got a food question the first group of people I think of to go to for insight and help are a bunch of dudes (mostly) who talk about Michigan sports anonymously.
I can think of no grouping of experts more uniquely qualified to render opinions on the quality of gravy options than that.....can you?
January 18th, 2019 at 6:07 PM ^
January 16th, 2019 at 8:40 AM ^
Now this is a topic you can sink your teeth into.
But sorry, I have no opinion.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:54 AM ^
You can sink your teeth into gravy?
January 16th, 2019 at 10:39 AM ^
I can sink his teeth into gravy. It's easy.
January 16th, 2019 at 4:19 PM ^
There's an old song by Cole Porter called "Friendship" that goes, "If you lose your teeth and you're out to dine, borrow mine."
January 16th, 2019 at 4:14 PM ^
Of course you can sink your teeth into it. He said his gravy is lumpy.
January 16th, 2019 at 4:32 PM ^
Put in moar sausage!
January 16th, 2019 at 10:30 AM ^
waiting for the first of either
1. we can't talk about gravy until we beat gravy
2. gravy commenting is UNACCEPTABLE!!!
January 16th, 2019 at 10:40 AM ^
But what if my gravy is a 5 star gravy and not some crummy 3 star?
January 16th, 2019 at 11:18 AM ^
you meant 'lumpy' 3 star gravy, right? it would be UNACCEPTABLE.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:40 AM ^
I'll chime in.
I use the juice from whatever I cook, try to strain some of the fat off, add some Tone's Beef Base, and flour to thicken.
I've had compliments.
I hate jar gravy.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:48 AM ^
I also use teldar's method, it's basically fool-proof and is much better than jar gravy.
To prevent lumps, make sure you mix the flour into a thin paste with some water, and don't pour it into boiling broth; let the broth cool slightly first. Then bring it back up to boiling or simmering to thicken.
Alternatively, you can basically use a white sauce method. Cook some flour in butter or skimmed fat for like 30 seconds, then mix in your broth. I use this method if I am making a gravy with things in it - for example, onions.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:21 AM ^
to elaborate on the "mix flour with water" above - it has to be COLD water. Otherwise the flour will lump and you will have lumps in your gravy. I use teldar's method as well, and it couldn't be easier to make a homemade gravy. You can even sub corn starch for flour as a thickening agent - just beware, you only need like 1/4th the amount
January 16th, 2019 at 9:23 AM ^
Yes.
As people point out below make a very thin paste out of the flour. Make sure your paste is free of lumps before adding. Add slowly and stir/whisk vigorously.
I have a whisk I use particularly for gravy. It might be a sauce whisk. A little one without many loops. I use the large whisk for eggs and cream.
January 16th, 2019 at 1:56 PM ^
Your "white flour" method is also called a roux. You can also use corn starch as a thickening agent, but as noted by others it's best mix it with a couple tablespoons of cold water and stir into a fine paste before adding it to whatever liquid you are thickening.
January 16th, 2019 at 10:43 AM ^
Didn't even know that jar gravy was a thing. If you're making the meat you've got the gravy.
January 16th, 2019 at 2:10 PM ^
Not every single time. There are times when people have gravy that you have not cooked "juice" producing meat. You are sitting here telling me that you "didn't even know" that gravy was sold in a jar? Really?
Wow. Only on MGoBlog.
January 16th, 2019 at 12:59 PM ^
I'll concur with this, except that I prefer corn starch to flour. Same results, better flavor - none of the flour taste you get from flour if you're not really careful about how much you use. Adding a base (beef or chicken, depending on what you cooked) can enhance the flavor, but is not always needed.
January 16th, 2019 at 1:05 PM ^
yes, corn starch is way better. it dissolves in the water better.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:41 AM ^
I tried to make some ham gravy on Christmas night, but did not turn out well. Any good recipes you would be willing to share? To answer your question I'm not a big fan of the ready made gravy.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:40 AM ^
Ham..? Gravy..?
January 16th, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
It is so insanely salty that is inedible.
January 16th, 2019 at 12:54 PM ^
Cut the ham broth with enough water to make it taste right, then add your thickener of choice (corn starch, for me). If you don't cut ham broth, it'll be too salty and inedible.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:44 AM ^
I have a hard time believing this, "I am an excellent cook", is true if this, "too oleaginous, lumpy, or even pasty" is true.
If you're having all of those different problems with your gravy, you're making it wrong.
And gravy from a jar is trash. Just to clear that confusion up.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:45 AM ^
Homemade - if you're getting lumps may be that you're adding too much flour too fast. You can either slowly mix the flour with a little water/broth and whisk in before adding it in to the rest of the ingredients or just sift it in in small amounts. Good gravy should be slow - low heat, stir constantly. If your consistentcy is off you can often rescue it the same - slowly adding the opposite ingredient (flour if too thin, broth/water if too thick) until it's back to the consistency you want.
I want to beat OSU this year. everything else is gravy. There - made it about sports
January 16th, 2019 at 8:47 AM ^
I prefer gravy when it is over french fries and cheese curds. Shit, I'm just talking about poutine now.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:48 AM ^
Man now I'm hungry. Gravy+Potatoes in any form is just damn good.
January 16th, 2019 at 2:19 PM ^
My wife is from Canada. Her brother likes what he calls blood and mud. Its a thing there. Ive seen people in restaurants doing it. He takes a big pile of french fries and douses it in vinegar. Then he adds brown gravy and lastly covers it in ketchup. /vomit
My wife always asks for brown gravy with her french fries when eating out. She skips the ketchup but will use vinegar if there isnt access to gravy.
Nobody in her family does poutine though we all love p mail bacon. I made the mistake of trying to get p mail across the border once because the canadian bacon we get here is really just ham. My p mail bacon was quarantined for 2 weeks. So now I just order it direct and save myself the headache.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:48 AM ^
Admit it, you made this just so you could use oleaginous in a post didn't you?
January 16th, 2019 at 8:54 AM ^
The Michigan difference.
January 16th, 2019 at 9:46 AM ^
This would have been a great post to use "viscous" and "unctuous" as well.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:48 AM ^
If your gravy is lumpy, I'm guessing you're thickening it with flour..... Instead of flour use a rue, equal parts corn starch and cold water, mixed well until the starch is completely dissolved. Add the rue to your gravy after its boiled for a minute.... stir like a madman while you're adding it and while the gravy thickens.
Not so easy a caveman can do it, but not all that hard after a little denial and error.
January 16th, 2019 at 8:58 AM ^
Starch doesn't dissolve in cold water. It needs to be heated for it to dissolve. I think you mean dispersed.
This is a good method that I use as well.