Sausage Gravy History
“Biscuits and gravy in some form may go back as early as the Revolutionary War, but many food writers and culinary historians position its birthplace in Southern Appalachia in the late 1800s. Lumber was one of the main industries of the region, which supports the origin story that sausage gravy was also called sawmill gravy. It was the ideal cheap and calorie-dense fuel for sawmill workers lifting heavy logs all day long, and the perfect tool for making the era’s biscuits more palatable.” (Hutcherson, Aaron. “The Surprising History Served with a Plate of Biscuits and Gravy.” Washington Post, 22 July 2019)
Course: Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine: Southern
Yield: 5 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Author: The Southern Spice Rack
Ingredients
· 1 pound ground sausage
· 2 tablespoons butter
· ¼ cup all-purpose flour
· 2 – 3 cups milk
· 1 tablespoon salt
· 1 tablespoon pepper
Instructions
1. In a large skillet over medium- high heat brown and crumble the sausage. Once cooked remove the sausage but reserve the drippings.
2. Turn the heat down to medium and add in the butter. Let the butter melt and then add in the flour. Using a whisk mix the flour and fat together to make a paste. This is your roux, cook the roux until the flour start to smell nutty and has a little color to it. This should only take about 3 – 4 minutes.
3. Slowly add the milk into the roux whisking at the same time. The flour should break down and come together making a thick sauce.
4. Add the sausage back into the gravy and mix. Season with salt and pepper, be sure to taste before sometimes salt is not needed.
5. Serve hot with biscuits!