That's Gravy!

The weather is starting to finally cool down and these days have me craving comfort food. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I have gravy on my mind. While I am typically not a huge fan of anything saucy, I do occasionally have cravings for gravy. Mmmmm... Now, I want some biscuits and gravy. HAHA. There's just something so filling about gravy!

Biscuit + Gravy from Brenda's in San Francisco

I remember initially hating gravy because I have had some really bad gravy in the past - usually underseasoned and not enough depth of flavor. The key to awesome gravy is to develop flavor throughout the entire "gravy making process" by making sure each component of the dish is given the time to brown. Anytime you brown foods such as meat, vegetables and even bread, that browning reaction creates a rich flavor in what you are making. This is a result of the Maillard reaction taking place which is a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that gives browned food its desirable flavor. (Science! BOOM!) This is important. So important that I remember spending almost 2+ weeks perfecting browning food in my food prep class. Step back and allow those flavors to cook and deepen - it is so worth it!

Today, I was able to find some pork chops on sale at my local grocery store. It is always useful to check out manager's specials or the weekly ad circulars for your favorite grocery store to get the best deals. I did not have a specific plan for the chops but once I saw what I had in my fridge I decided to pan fry the chops and make a mushroom and onion gravy.

I have never followed a specific recipe for this dish but the steps are basically as follows:

• Season meat with the seasonings you like best. I went for simple tonigh and used: Himalayan salt, fresh black pepper, & dried thyme. 
• Heat about a tablespoon of oil in the pan and brown the chops on both sides. You want the chops to be browned, leaving those delicious brown bits at the bottom of the pan.
• Remove chops and allow them to rest.
• Add mushrooms (about 1 1/2  cups, sliced) to the pan and let them brown. Remove once cooked and set aside.
• Next, add the onions (1 medium onion) into the pan and allow them to soften and brown.
• Once the onions have cooked, add about 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour into the pan and stir to cook the flour a bit. Then add the mushrooms back into the pan.
• Then add about 2 cups of chicken stock (or water) and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits of deliciousness off the bottom of the pan. 
• Allow the gravy to simmer and thicken (that's what adding the flour does). About 5 minutes. 
• Next add the chops back in and combine with the gravy. I sliced my chops to make it easier to eat. 
• Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve. Can be served with mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or bread.

It's really a simple dish that you can make your own. I was thinking of adding red pepper flakes next time for some kick or some garlic cause I love garlic. You can also mess around with the herbs and seasonings on your meat to fit your taste. If you do not eat pork, use chicken instead and it is just as good. Also for vegetarians, omit the meat and just use a number of different mushrooms and vegetable stock. This is a super versatile dish and I hope you try it out sometime. 

-F