Pink-Eye Gravy Recipe

Since I used to be very younger rising up in southwest Virginia, making ready and having fun with massive elaborate breakfasts collectively was a staple a part of each household reunion, irrespective of the hour. When one or a number of of us returned house late at night time or early within the morning, weary and hungry from journey, we’d make breakfast along with the works: eggs, grits, biscuits or toast, and after a fast thaw of leftover nation ham from the freezer, red-eye gravy: a fast emulsion of scorching espresso and slowly rendered ham drippings. I grew up consuming red-eye gravy this fashion, a swirl of a scorching spoonful over an impromptu midnight breakfast, even when I used to be a bleary-eyed member of the welcoming committee. For a few years, I related red-eye gravy virtually totally with worldwide air journey even earlier than I had ever truly been inside a aircraft. 

The identify red-eye gravy seemingly has nothing to do with espresso or caffeine (or red-eye flights) in any respect. Whereas there are legends about President Andrew Jackson requesting red-eye gravy the colour of his bloodshot eyes after a protracted night time of consuming, these are tall tales that aren’t essentially rooted the truth is. I’ve observed that the extra fantastical tales about red-eye gravy are extra frequent on web message boards about southern food moderately than tales which might be truly shared round southern tables themselves. It’s extra seemingly that the identify takes its cue from its shimmering reddish hue the place it swimming pools across the “eye” or “aitch” bone of skinny sliced, bone-in nation ham. 

Whereas the historical past behind its identify is contested, I’ll at all times affiliate red-eye gravy with breakfast meals and a candy return house. I grew up consuming red-eye gravy rendered and constructed from no matter ham was leftover from the annual New 12 months’s ham within the freezer. This fairly often included the bone and all of the trimmings, however we didn’t essentially drizzle it excessive of a correct ham slice. Whereas it’s good to eat red-eye gravy with a beneficiant slice of ham itself, I believe it’s much more nice drizzled over a biscuit or stirred into tacky, buttery grits. It’s not a thick, creamy gravy for dunking or protecting meals (it’s caffeinated, in any case!), however moderately it’s extra like a jus or pan sauce for dipping and drizzling. It’s intense however wealthy and succulent, with a slight bitterness offset virtually instantly by wealthy, succulent fats. 

I consider red-eye gravy as a testomony to being awake, morning or night time, whether or not you’re having fun with it over a full meal earlier than a protracted day forward or prolonging the inevitability of sleep. To me, it’s a delicacy, the proper final touch for a meal that you just make to be eaten over adrenaline-fueled dialog and regalement of journey tales. For me, it’s the crown jewel of being house and collectively once more, a freezer in some way nonetheless filled with ham. It’s useless easy to make, and listed here are a pair tricks to get it proper.

Do not Be Tempted to Thicken With a Roux

Whereas many iterations of southern gravies, particularly these meant to be lovingly laddled over biscuits, are thick and velvety from the addition of a flour-based roux, red-eye gravy purists don’t add a roux, and this recipe is not any completely different. At its easiest, the recipe is a modest discount of nation ham and powerful black espresso, however this recipe incorporates gentle brown sugar, black pepper, and a pat of butter to melt the hit of the bitterness on the palate. The jolt of robust, barely bitter black espresso means red-eye gravy shouldn’t be for the faint of coronary heart, but it surely’s additionally a buddy to sugar and butter, simply as any trustworthy southerner can be. These additions make sure that the gravy is hearty and wealthy sufficient with out a roux.

Forged Apart the Forged Iron and Use Stainless-Metal As an alternative

My dad makes use of a cast-iron skillet for almost every little thing, however even he units it apart for whipping up red-eye gravy, opting as an alternative for a stainless-steel skillet. It is because acidic meals and liquids, such because the espresso within the red-eye gravy, will choose up taste and shade from the iron within the pan, which might flip the gravy dingy and metallic-tasting. red-eye gravy is already very bitter, and the acidity of the espresso combined with the pure saltiness of the nation ham tends to attract out an disagreeable acrid taste from even essentially the most well-seasoned cast-iron. 

The recipe under makes use of a stainless-steel skillet all through, however being the forged iron-lover that I’m, once I make this at house I favor to render the fats of the ham in a forged iron skillet individually, for a sluggish and even render that simply prevents overcooking of the ham, earlier than transferring the drippings to a stainless-steel or enamel skillet to construct the sauce. Be at liberty to start out with forged iron, like I do, or stick to stainless-steel all through. Utilizing stainless-steel (or an enameled skillet) doesn’t simply keep away from an off-putting taste, however the lighter shade permits me to see higher how the gravy is progressing and emulsifying. Only one scorching spoonful of this gravy over a biscuit with a bit additional butter and a drizzle of molasses immediately transports me again to my household’s kitchen counter, irrespective of the place I’m.