One time at a get together I was talking with family member about having sausage biscuits and gravy for breakfast the previous weekend. She said she used a packet of dry mix for the gravy and it just wasn't that good. My Mema looks at me and says "honey, you tell her how to do it". So in about 2 minutes I told her how I make this sausage gravy (also known as sawmill gravy). It could not be more straight forward and comes together in the time it takes to bake off the biscuits!
The 3 keys to making this gravy are to use a good quality ground breakfast sausage of your choice, at least 2% milk (skim just won't cut it), and don't be scared of using lots of salt and black pepper. And if you want to be a true southerner you have to make this in a cast iron skillet!
Start by browning the sausage. Break it up with a spoon or spatula as it cooks. I prefer mine very small and crumbly, but big chunks work as well.
Season the sausage. I buy a higher quality plain breakfast sausage and season it to personal taste. I love a strong sage flavor so I add more. My husband loves heat so we add red pepper flakes. It's totally up to you, but remember that the sausage is the base of the entire dish so make sure it's good!
Once the sausage is cooked, sprinkle flour over all of the sausage and grease and mix together. When flour is whisked into a fat, it is called a roux (pronounced rue) and is the thickener for a sauce or gravy. Here we make it easier by leaving the sausage crumbles in the pan while the roux is made, instead of removing it and adding back in later. It's hard to say the exact amount that should be used because some sausage might produce more grease than others. There needs to be enough flour to mix with the grease and form almost a paste. There should be no visible dry flour and no visible grease left unabsorbed. Stir for a few minutes to cook the flour and get rid of it's raw taste.
Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. I use a flat whisk because that is what works the best for me. Continue whisking as the milk comes up to a simmer. Let cook until desired thickness is reached. The less liquid the thicker it will be and adding more milk will make the gravy thinner. The amount of milk I used was the perfect ratio of sausage pieces to actual liquid. If you are trying to stretch the pound of sausage just add more milk and cook longer to thicken.
Season gravy with kosher salt and black pepper. Milk is dairy, and dairy has the tendency to really dull the flavors, so while the sausage may have salt it will probably not be enough to season all of the milk. Sawmill gravy needs a lot of black pepper. Don't be shy about it! Add a little of each, stir, and taste. If you go slow there's no risk of over seasoning and you'll teach your eyes and taste buds how to season without measuring!
Serve with warm biscuits or toast or eat it by itself if that's your jam!
{Makes roughly enough gravy for 6 biscuits}
INGREDIENTS
1 pound of ground sausage
2-3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
optional:
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried sage
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Crumble and brown sausage in a cast iron skillet. Season sausage with additional seasoning such as sage, cayenne, fennel, red pepper flakes to desired taste.
2) Sprinkle flour over cooked sausage and grease. Stir or whisk to completely incorporate the flour into the grease to make the roux.
3) Let the flour cook for a few minutes while continuing to stir.
4) Slowly pour in milk while whisking.
5) Allow milk mixture to come to a simmer. Stir often as it continues to thicken.
6) Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
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