There’s just something special about Sunday meals. That’s the one day of the week where many of us tend to rest, so we have plenty of time to yourself to play around in the kitchen. Everyone has their favorite dishes that they enjoy eating for Sunday dinner. For some, it is Fried Chicken. For others, it mighe be Pot Roast. For me, my favorite Sunday dinner meal is easily Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli. And while Mashed Potatoes can be perfectly good by themselves, drizzling them with some beef gravy really takes them to a whole ‘nother level. In this post, I’m going to share my recipe for making old-fashioned beef gravy at home entirely from scratch.
Key Ingredients for Beef Gravy
This particular recipe for Beef Gravy is made with a roux, thus it includes some of your standard ingredients: Flour, Butter and Beef Broth. That said, what makes this recipe stand out from the rest is the use of Worcestershire Sauce, Basil + Oregano and White Pepper.
- Basil + Oregano: Basil & Oregano are like the Salt & Pepper of Italian Cuisine. You just can’t one without the other in any dish, in my humble opinion, as they both have contrasting flavor profiles that compliment each other well. Basil originatesform the tropical regions of Central Africa and Southeast Asia while Oregano originates from the Mediterranean region of Northern Africa, Southern Europe and Western Asia. What the addition of the Basil does is give the gravy a subtle sweet but peppery note, similar to a combination of mint, cloves and anise. Meanwhile, what the addition of Oregano does is give the Beef Gravy a woodsy and somewhat pungent undertone, this giving the gravy a lot more depth in terms of flavor.
- White Pepper vs. Black Pepper: Often, you’ll find that most Beef Gravy recipes call for the use of black pepper as seasoning. There’s nothing inherently wrong with using black pepper in gravy, but for this recipe, I prefer instead to use White Pepper for a couple of different reasons. For one, white pepper tends to have a milder flavor profile than its black pepper counterpart, which helps to ensure it doesn’t overpower all of the other flavors in the gravy. But another reason I find white pepper to be superior for this recipe (and really, all sorts of sauces & gravy) is because it is more visually appealing than black pepper, as it blends in seamlessly and gives it a smooth texture.
- Worcestershire Sauce: The name of the game when it comes to the addition of worcestershire sauce to any dish is “complexity.” And I must say, this Beef Gravy recipe is certainly no exception to that. Worcestershire sauce gives this gravy a variety of different profiles that really helps to deepen its overall flavor. For one, with worcestershire sauce containing a fair amount of Vinegar, it adds a subtle level of tanginess to the gravy. Also, worcestershire sauce also contains both sugar and molasses, which helps to give the gravy a subtle sweet undertone, providing some contrast to the overwhelming savory flavor. Finally, the worcestershire sauce really helps to enhance and deepens the meatiness of the gravy with its umami contribution.
And that’s all there is to it! Beef Gravy pares well with all sorts of food. It is commonly enjoyed with side dishes such as mashed potatoes, stuffing and rice. However, it can also be drizzled on top of food such as meatloaf, pot roast, steak, pork chops and meatballs. By the time you finish reading this post, you will also be a pro at making this gravy yourself and you’ll have your family & friends begging to make it all the time!
Tips for Making this Recipe
Gravy will continue to thicken as it cools. There are varying schools of thought when it comes to the right consistency for gravy. Famously, Chef Gordon Ramsay insists that gravy should be thin. However, there are other professionals who disagree with him. In my humble opinon, I think there’s a middle ground when it comes to gravy. It shouldn’t be as thick as paste, but it shouldn’t be thin to the point that it’s runny either. At the very least, the gravy should stick somewhat to the back of a spoon for optimal thickness. All of that being said, just be mindful that you’re not cooking the Beef Gravy for too long, as it will continue to thicken while cooling.
Don’t undercook the roux. You have to be really careful with timing when it comes to making a roux. I would say the #1 mistake a lot of cooks make when attempting to prepare homemade Beef Gravy is that they don’t allow their roux to heat up long enough. It’s important that you don’t try mixing the broth with your roux too soon for a couple reasons. For one, you must allow sufficient time for heating up the raw flour, which at minimum must be cooked to a temp of 165*F in order to be safe for consumption. But in addition, your beef gravy won’t have that signature brown color if you tried mixing in your broth too soon.
Use a sieve to strain the gravy. While this is very much an optional step, and it’s one that I often skip, I strongly recommend (especially if you’re a beginner and have never made Beef Gravy from scratch before) straining your gravy through a sieve into a bowl or pot before chilling and serving it. This will be an additional safeguard to ensure you don’t have any lumps in your final product. Personally, I do find this step to be a bit frustrating. The reason why is not because it’s hard or takes up too much additional time. Rather, it means that I’ll have another dish to wash, and clean up is the least fun part of cooking (*sigh*).
Monter Au Beurre. As you probably guessed, “Monter Au Berre” is a french term. When literally translated into English, it means “Mount With Butter.” This is a technique that is taught in culinary school and used by french chefs to elevate their sauces and gravy. With this, all you’re doing is adding a bit of cold butter (say, about a tablespoon or so) to the hot gravy or sauce once it is done. This does a couple things. Not only does it enhance the richness of the Beef Gravy, but it also gives the gravy a velvety, shiny finish (which is nice for folks who are big on aesthethics). That being said, this is a optional technique and not required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the Beef Broth with Beef Drippings?
Absolutely! You would just use about 4 tablespoons of beef fat along with 2 cups of water in place of the broth in order to make the Beef Gravy. Alternatively, you can also still use butter as your fat then add 2 cups of beef drippings in place of the broth.
Can I substitue the Beef Broth for Beef Stock?
While you certainly can use beef stock in place of beef broth, you should be mindful of a couple things. One, beef stock tends to be less flavorful than beef broth (at least the stuff sold commercially at stores), so you may have to adjust the spices/herbs in your Beef Gravy accordingly to account for this. Also, beef stock tends to have a thicker consistency than beef broth, this you may have to adjust the cooking time accordingly as well to account for this.
Can I substitute the Butter for Margarine for the Beef Gravy?
I do understand that not everyone is able to eat dairy products and that butter is simply not an option for such individuals. In such cases, you *COULD* replace the butter with margarine, but with a couple of important caveats. For starters, while margarine and butter are both different type of fats that can be used in gravy, their fat composition is not entirely equal. Margarine tend to have virtually no water in it (thus it’s 100% fat), whereas Butter typically has a water content of 20-25% (depending on the brand).
The other caveat is that the use of cooking oils will change the flavor profile of the gravy. Seed oils (I.E. Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, etc.), are known to be neutral-tasting, meaning they have no flavor. So you will be losing the subtle nuttiness / sweetness in your Beef Gravy that Butter offers.
All of that said, the short and sweet answer I can give you is I *DON’T* recommend it. For a more detailed answer, see above.
Can you freeze this Beef Gravy? And if so, for how long?
You certainly can! Just be aware, there is the possibility that the ingredients could separate somewhat. To fix this, you should just stir them together (as well as add splashes of broth if too thick) until they’re well-combined again. This Beef Gravy should maintain its freshness in the freezer for up to 6 months. Then once you’re ready to eat it, slowly thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight before attempting to heat it. Just be sure to place it in an airtight container and leave a bit of space to account for expansion as the liquid freezes.
Can I make Beef Gravy in advance?
Absolutely! You would just chill it in the refrigerator inside an airtight container, and it should be good for up to 3 days. Once ready to consume, you can reheat it in a saucepan or warm it up in the microwave for 30-second intervals. After 3 days, I would advise that you dispose of it as the Beef Gravy may no longer be safe to consume.
Try These Other Sides
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Best Homemade Baked Beans (NO Canned Beans)
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Best Cornbread (Southern-Style)
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Best Candied Yams
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Best Southern Cornbread Dressing
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Best Baked Mac and Cheese
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Best Southern Potato Salad Recipe
Best Beef Gravy Recipe
Equipment
- 1 3qt Saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Knife
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
- 1 Gravy Boat (optional)
- 1 Sieve (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Unsalted** Beef Broth
- 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1 TSP Onion Powder
- 1/2 TSP Dried Basil
- 1/2 TSP Dried Oregano
- 1/2 TSP Iodized Salt**
- 1/4 TSP Ground White Pepper
Instructions
- Add unsalted butter to 3qt saucepan and warm on medium to medium-low heat until melted.
- Once butter is melted, slowly and gradually add flour while stirring constantly to prevent clumping.
- Once butter and flour are well combined, continue warming on medium to medium-low heat and stirring constantly until it achieves a golden brown color (approx. 9-12 minutes***).
- Once roux has achieved a golden-brown color, slowly and gradually add beef broth while stirring constantly to prevent clumping and scorching.
- Once all the beef broth has been added and well-combined with the roux, add both worchestershire sauce and seasonings then stir until well-combined.
- Continue warming gravy on medium to medium-low heat until it reaches desired thickness while stirring frequently.
- Remove gravy from heat and serve immediately.