a proper british gravy

How To Make a proper british gravy

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  1

  PREP/PREPARE
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  2

  Gather and prep your ingredients.
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  3

  Add about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil to a pot over medium heat.
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  4

  Add the ground beef, and use a wooden spoon to break it up as you cook.
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  5

  Allow it to cook for a few minutes; it should still be slightly pink.
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  6

  Remove from the pot, and place into a food processor, fitted with an S-blade, and then lightly season with some salt and pepper.
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  7

  Give the partially cooked beef a few 1-second pulses, until it’s finely ground, but not mush.
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  8

  Return the beef to the pot and finish cooking.
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  9

  Chef’s Note: If you want to skip these steps, you can always have your butcher finely grind the beef right at the store.
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  10

  Add the onion and rosemary leaves to the pot.
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  Continue to stir until most of the liquid from the onions has been cooked off, about 15 minutes.
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  12

  Deglaze the pot using the light ale, and a wooden spoon.
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  13

  Chef’s Note: Deglazing a pan utilizes a liquid (wine, beer, broth), to soften up and incorporate those yummy dried bits of flavor stuck to the bottom of the pan (called fonds) back into the recipe.
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  14

  Cook until slightly reduced in volume, about 3 to 5 minutes.
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  15

  Add the flour, dry mustard, jam, and vinegar to the two cups of water and whisk to combine.
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  Add the water and the beef stock to the skillet, and reduce heat to a simmer.
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  Simmer for 30 minutes, or until nice and thick.
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  Chef’s Note: During this time, season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
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  Chef’s Tip: I like to add a pinch of cayenne (especially in the cold Winter months) for a bit of a kick.
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  After 30 minutes add the gravy to a food processor fitted with an S-blade, and pulse until smooth.
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  Return to the pot, and keep warm until ready to use.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Chef’s Note: Serve this over just about any beef, to add a bit of dimension to the dish.
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  In this example, I use it with some homemade meatballs as an alternative to the traditional Italian tomato sauce that would normally be used. These will be one of my New Year appetizers. Enjoy.
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  25

  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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