Who’s Gonna Make the Gravy?

Who’s Gonna Make the Gravy?

I’m proud to say I am the king of sauces, custard and gravy… well in our house, anyway! When we want something smooth and free of any lumps, I’m the go-to-man. So, I’m sharing with you, how to create that smooth, delicious home-made gravy to go with your Conscious Farmer grass fed beef roasts, but this can also be used for roast chicken, lamb or even pork. If you’re cooking a roast – it just finishes the meal off to have some delicious gravy made from the pan juices of the roast.

Begin by discarding the gravy powder folks!

Once your roast is cooked, remove it from the oven and also from the roasting pan and sit to rest. The pan that you have used for roasting will have some meat juices and some melted fat in it.  These are both great as a base for your gravy, but you most likely don’t want too much fat, so you can spoon off and discard the amount not required.  This is easily done, as the fat sits as a layer on top of the pan juices.

Derek’s Gravy

Ingredients

  • Pan juices from your roast beef
  • 2 cups beef stock – home made from our beef bones is best (with all the benefits of gelatine)
  • 2 tbls cornflour or your preferred thickener (arrowroot is non grain thickener for those that eat grain free)
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • Rosemary, 1 sprig bruised
  • Optional dash of the red wine that will accompany your dinner!

How to do it

Place the pan containing the juices over a medium heat on the stove top.

Meanwhile, mix the cornflour with enough cold water to make a runny paste, add to the pan juices and whisk to combine. Toss the bruised rosemary in the pan and slowly add the beef stock (and optional red wine) while whisking to maintain smooth consistency.

Any residue that was stuck to the base of the pan will lift and add rich colour and flavour to your gravy.

If the heat is a little high, the gravy will thicken quickly, so just be at the ready with the whisk… there is no lump that can’t be resolved with a good whisking! If you like it thinner, simply add a little more water.

If you like to have perfectly smooth gravy, simply pour it through a sieve to remove any bits left behind in the pan from the roast.

Season with sea salt and ground pepper to your taste.  ALWAYS taste before seasoning and also before serving to make sure you have the taste just right.

Remember, prior to filling your gravy boat/jug for the table, warm it in some hot water, or in the oven that should still be warm. This way your gravy will keep its warmth while on the table before it is served.

Creating delicious gravy is all about understanding the ratio of thickener, liquid and heat and responding as necessary with the whisk. This will ensure a gravy that you can enjoy just to your liking. It’s very simple really, and once you have the hang of it, you’ll never go back to gravy powder again!

You can see our tips for cooking roasts or any other cut of our grass fed beef here.

So, as Paul Kelly says, ‘Who’s Gonna Make the Gravy’ in your house?

Enjoy!

Derek.

P.S. We have some delicious roasts for you to enjoy in our hampers!