by Bill Whitney

Created on: April 19, 2008   Last Updated: August 06, 2010

Whether you like your gravy thick or thin is a matter of personal preference in my opinion. I have always liked my gravy to be thick enough to stay on whatever it was that I put it on. Whether it be country fried steak, turkey, bread, or mashed potatoes, I would prefer my gravy to stay where I put it. If I want gravy on my carrots or green beans I would put it on it. Who wants thin gravy mixed in with their cranberry sauce or jello salad? Not me. I like a nice thick gravy with lots of sausage on my biscuits.

I always thought that thin gravy was called au jus. Really if you are going to call it gravy it needs to be fairly thick. I never hesitate to make my gravy pretty thick. It is a lot easier to thin a gravy that is too thick than it is to make a gravy thicker. Both can be done but all you have to do to thin the gravy is pour a little milk in it but to thicken it you have to add flour and be very careful not to make lumps. I would rather have it a little too thin than lumpy. Nobody likes lumpy gravy.

Making good gravy really isn't all that hard but when making gravy you need to stir and or whisk constantly once you add the flour and milk. I always brown the meat or sausage first and use added oil if you need to but the grease from the meat is what gives the gravy its flavor. If you are going to make gravy a little less lean sausage or hamburger will make a more flavorful gravy.

My mother was a good cook and always got good comments on her gravy and she taught my brother and I how to make good gravy. Her fried chicken gravy was the BEST. It always seemed to be just the right thickness for mashed potatoes and gravy. It was thick enough to stay on the potatoes but thin enough to get that gravy goodness in every bite.

Gravy is very starchy and not really very good for you but it is so good and what would a country fried steak be without country gravy on it? There are very few good restaurants that don't have sausage gravy and biscuits on the menu anymore. A good sausage gravy has to have a lot of sausage in it and not just a little sausage flavor. I have found a few that should stick to fried or scrambled eggs and forget about the gravy. There was a little restaurant in Edgerton Wyoming that I used to go to that had the best sausage and biscuit breakfast I have ever had other than my own. This was ten years ago but for $3.50 you got two BIG biscuits covered with sausage gravy and another whole plate of fresh grated hash browns and you got sausage gravy on them if you wanted it. And all for only $3.50. I am sure it has gone up by now but if the cafe is still there, I would bet you could still get the same breakfast for a good price.

I like my gravy to stay on what I put it on so my vote definitely has to go for thick gravy.

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