Vinnys Gravy Recipes

BEEF ROAST AND ONION GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, parsley and black pepper and cook until the onion is tender-crisp, stirring often. Stir the stock in the skillet and heat to a boil. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Place the beef in a roasting pan and brush with the stock mixture. Roast at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or to desired doneness, brushing occasionally with the stock mixture. Remove the beef from the roasting pan.
• Stir the flour in the skillet. Stir the flour mixture in the roasting pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Serve the gravy with the beef.

GRANDMA HAWLEY'S TOMATO GRAVY

Steps:

• Melt the bacon fat and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the bubbles subside, pour in the tomatoes and stir with a wooden spoon until the fat has married with the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring regularly, until reduced by half, 2 hours.
• Heat the evaporated milk and the whole milk in separate saucepans over low heat until they form a skin on the surface. Remove and discard the skin from the evaporated milk, then pour into the tomatoes; stir until incorporated.
• Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Remove and discard the skin from the whole milk. Quickly pour the milk into the bowl with the flour, whisking vigorously (to avoid clumps). Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the pot with the tomatoes. Stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. (The consistency should be velvety.) Season with 2 tablespoons each salt and pepper.

QUICK AND EASY GRAVY FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• In a wide skillet with sides, melt butter over medium heat. When melted and sizzling, whisk in the flour. Whisk until the flour and butter turn into a smooth paste and look medium blonde in color; about 1 minute. It smells toasty, like browned butter.
• Pour in stock and whisk until smooth. Bring the gravy to a low simmer. As it simmers, it thickens and becomes glossy.
• Whisk in the herbs and mushroom powder then cook at a low simmer for a minute or two. Remove from the heat then stir in half and half or cream (optional).
• Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and black pepper (we like a generous amount of pepper).
• Substitute some or all the butter with fat left in the pan from roasting. If there are juices left in the pan, strain them then swap all or some of the stock for the pan juices. Pan drippings and juices will be well seasoned compared to the stock. When seasoning, taste the gravy first then adjust with more salt and/or pepper. If you used a stove-top safe pan such as a Dutch oven or stainless steel pan for roasting, there is no need for the skillet. Make the gravy directly in the roasting pan.

VITA GRECO'S GRAVY

Steps:

• Prepare the meats: In a large skillet, brown all the meats in the olive oil. There is no need to cook the meats all the way through. Remember to pierce the sausage before cooking to allow fats and water to be released. Set meats aside.
• Prepare meatballs: Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a large bowl. Form the meatballs with your hands (there should be about 12). Fry in the olive oil over medium heat until browned, but not cooked all the way through. Set aside.
• Prepare the gravy: Saute garlic in the olive oil in the same skillet used to saute the meats. Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. In a large saucepot, combine the remaining ingredients except the meats and the tomato paste-garlic mixture and simmer. When the mixture begins to bubble, add all the meats and the meatballs and the tomato paste-garlic mixture. Stir about every 15 minutes, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent burning and sticking. If the gravy seems too thick, add a little water at a time. Simmer for about 3 hours, keeping the lid of the pot slightly askew to prevent condensation of the gravy.