Pisoma Kitchen's Ultimate Sausage Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 lb bulk pork sausage (breakfast style, sage or hot preferred)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (only if the sausage is very lean and doesn't render enough fat)
• 0.25 cup all-purpose flour (to create the roux)
• 12 oz evaporated milk (1 standard can; provides a richer texture and faster thickening)
• 1 cup whole milk (plus more as needed to reach desired consistency)
• 1 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, or to taste)
• salt (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bulk pork sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small crumbles, until it is fully browned and cooked through.

2. 2

   Assess the amount of fat in the pan. You need approximately 3-4 tablespoons of fat to make the roux. If the sausage was lean and the pan looks dry, add 2 tablespoons of butter and let it melt.

3. 3

   Sprinkle the flour evenly over the cooked sausage and fat. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. The mixture should look like a thick paste coating the meat.

4. 4

   Add the black pepper and a pinch of salt directly into the flour and fat mixture. This 'blooms' the spices in the fat, which extracts more flavor than adding them after the liquid.

5. 5

   Slowly pour in the evaporated milk while whisking or stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Once incorporated, add the whole milk.

6. 6

   Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the gravy for 5-7 minutes. The evaporated milk will help it thicken quickly into a silky, velvety consistency. If the gravy becomes too thick, stir in a splash more whole milk.

7. 7

   Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper if necessary. Serve immediately over hot, split biscuits.

Notes

The creator emphasizes that 'fat extracts more flavor than liquid ever could,' so always add your seasonings to the roux stage. Using evaporated milk is a professional tip for achieving a rich, stable gravy without the long reduction time required for heavy cream or large volumes of milk.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• brunch
• comfort food
• southern
• sausage
• gravy
• main dish