Moms Gravy
All I need is to hear the word gravy, and I am immediately transported back to my childhood which consisted of many nights eating a dinner of pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy. It usually included a big salad with Uncle Dan’s Ranch Dressing made from a mix, and maybe some of the frozen corn my mom spent hours cutting off the cob and portioning into freezer bags. But, it’s the gravy that brings it all home for me, and I can remember it like it’s today…
I walk in the front door in the afternoon from school, and immediately, I know what we’re having for dinner. The house is thick with the aroma of braising beef and onions, and I take in a deep, mouth-watering breath that settles into a knowing smile. Over the next couple of hours, I’m watching the after school special or Yogi the Bear cartoons (this is way before Nickelodeon). While Yogi and Boo Boo are busy stealing picnic baskets, I peak in the kitchen just in time to see my mom basting the pot roast with the braising liquid, and I can’t wait for my father to come home from work so we can have dinner.
Shortly before his arrival, the ritual begins. Potatoes are peeled and boiling away in the large pot. The pot roast has been secreted away to some resting place while the gravy preparation begins. The rich broth has been removed to the white bowl with the scratched gold flowers around the rim. On the stove top sits the vintage roasting pan which is about 12 inches across, and at one time had a black plastic handle which long ago broke off causing my mother to use a pot holder for a makeshift handle cover. The lid has a round black top that screws on, but that too has disappeared. In order to remove the lid, she takes a fork and inserts the exposed screw as far up the fork as it will go, and lift-off! She reveals a brown murky mess that is about to undergo a miraculous transformation into a magic elixir!
Into the pan goes flour and butter, and the fork which was previously used to release the lid now becomes the whisk. She quickly stirs in the flour, her arm twirling and body moving in a synchronistic gravy dance. And here’s my FAVORITE part, when the flour and butter reach the nutty brown color she’s looking for, she takes ahold of the white bowl and pours the broth slowly into the pan while feverishly stirring, and the most delicious, heavenly steam arises from that antiquated pan. All of the translucent onions and bits of beef and pan scrapings meld into the steaming broth to create a creamy gold/brown pool of silky, amazing gravy. A little touch of milk and kitchen bouquet for color, and she turns the heat up to simmer all of those beautiful flavors together. When the gravy is ready, she pours it back into the little white bowl with the scratched gold flowers, and the entire dinner heads for the table.
Mom’s gravy takes me back to a time when the family dinner wasn’t optional, and when there was relative calm and peace in our house. And, yes we were expected to show up to the table with clean hands and good manners, and to be ready to finish all the food on our plates. It was a time when my father, who passed away at an all too early age, had a look of silent contentment on his face that may have washed away all of his worries of the day. Before him sat his family, his favorite meal drenched in Mom’s Gravy, and the bond of love that held us all together.
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Mom’s Gravy Recipe:
1 Prepared “favorite pot roast”
¼ C Brandy (optional for pan deglazing)
2 Tbsp Flour
2 Tbsp Butter
2 C Beef broth
Additional water or milk as needed
½ tsp Thyme (my addition)
Salt & pepper to taste
**Note: Kitchen bouquet has been removed from this recipe because I’m not sure what it is.
Prepare your favorite pot roast recipe, preferably braising in the oven for a few hours with aromatic herbs and plenty of sliced onions. When pot roast is ready, remove it from the roasting pan and set aside, covered with aluminum foil. Pour the braising liquid into a bowl, skimming off some of the oil that rises to the top, (or use one of those kitchen gadgets that do it for you). Return roasting pan to the stove top over medium heat, and deglaze the pan with the brandy (or wine), stirring up all of the browned bits and onions with an old fork. Really get into it, so your body moves as you stir vigorously – this adds to the flavor and texture. When the liquid is almost evaporated, add the butter and flour and continue stirring until the mixture begins to have a nutty aroma.
Important technique: If you’re enjoying the rest of the brandy, put the glass down. Position yourself so your face is directly over the roasting pan, and slowly pour in the braising liquid as you stir, stir, stir until your face is covered in steam and sweat and you feel like you’ve reached nirvana. Add the thyme, rubbing between your fingers to release the oils as it falls into the pot, season with salt and pepper to taste, and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Allow the gravy to simmer gently as it thickens (add water or a little milk if it becomes too thick).
Serving suggestion – pour generously over the pot roast, mashed potatoes, and corn. Save some on your plate and use your bread to sop up any remaining gravy. Take a deep breath, smile.
