Biscuits 'n' Gravy

Growing up in a highly agricultural area, my parents tend to give me some of the butchered pig they buy at the local Livestock Show. So, I tend to have a plethora of pork sausage. Same goes for the wife; she grew up in a very small area as well. Gotta get rid of it somehow! It may not be the healthiest, but biscuits and gravy are delicious.

My pops showed me how to make this when my curiosity was sparked in high school. If you've read my previous blogs, my dad doesn't tend to use measurements. He just judges it by looking. I also made some tweaks to his "recipe".

Ingredients
Sausage (I used pork sausage because it's what I had. Use turkey sausage for a more healthy alternative).
Chopped garlic
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Flour
Milk

1. Brown some pork sausage in a fairly large saucepan to leave room for the gravy.
2. Add chopped garlic for more flavor. Brown together.
3. Salt and pepper. Add in rosemary for another extra kick.
(With any kind of sausage, it gets greasy. This is how the flour is able to stick to the meat).
4. Add in flour until the grease is soaked into the flour, coating the sausage. Make sure that it's well coated, or else you won't have thick gravy.
5. Add in a good amount of milk (so that it more than submerges the meat).
**The higher fat content in the milk, the more thick it's going to be. I use almond milk because I'm lactose-intolerant, and it still works.
6. Let simmer over low-medium heat, and let thicken.
7. Pour over biscuits and enjoy.


Sometimes when we had biscuits and gravy on Sunday mornings, my pops didn't have anything to make biscuits with. So, you gotta improvise. I used croissants this time. Ripped up pieces of toasted bread works as well. If you've got Bisquick laying around, that's always a quick way to whip up some speedy form of a starch.

When I was a camp counselor a couple years ago, I made this over a fire for my campers. The added smokeyness was a delicious kick. So, for all you campers for the Fourth out there, you CAN make biscuits and gravy when you're in the wilderness! I mixed Bisquick and put it in aluminum foil balls. Turned out really good except for the occasional burned biscuit. And believe me, I know what I'm talking about when it comes to cooking over a fire. While working at that Camp, I had to learn pretty quickly, and because I had cooking experience before, it worked out. You can ask any of my past coworkers... I had people fighting over who would accompany me on a cookout.

That reminds me of a fruit cobbler I made in a Dutch Oven.

For those of you who don't know, a Dutch Oven is an SOB to carry. It's made of cast iron, so it's heavy as hell. In order to cook something in a Dutch Oven, you have to create a fire but put the Dutch Oven over the coals for it to cook slowly. It's kinda like a very old school crockpot... Except you use fire. According to the roommate, there are people in Montana who have clubs and groups dedicated to using Dutch Ovens; it's an art.

You can make this cobbler in an over or a Dutch Oven. Doesn't matter.

You need:
Bisquick
Sugar
Canned fruit (I used canned peaches and fresh raspberries. This worked because of the juices from the canned peaches counterbalancing the fresh fruit).

1. Spray down the container with PAM that will be holding the cobbler.
2. Dump in the canned fruit.
3. In a separate container, mix Bisquick, water, and sugar. When I was in the woods making this, I eyeballed it and taste tested the batter to see if it needed more sugar/water/Bisquick. You do the same!
4. Spoon the Bisquick mixture over the fruit and flatten.
5. Put in oven at 350 degrees and watch for the cobbler to brown. I don't have a set measurement or time, just make sure to pay attention. If you're making it in a Dutch Oven, put over coals and let cook.
6. When the Bisquick mixture has cooked through, let cool and serve!

Questions? Comments? Post me a comment. :)