This recipe is how my mom made her gravy for years and years. Simple no-fuss method of a great tasting creamy beef gravy.
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Homemade Gravy
Gravy Thickening Methods
Normally, I start my gravy with a Roux. This assures that you will have no lumps in your gravy. A roux is a combination of flour and fat mixed together to form a thickener for a wide variety of sauces and soups.
However, my mom never made a Roux for her gravy. She only used flour and water to thicken her gravy. But there is a trick to success.
The trick is in when and how the flour and water mixture is added. Mixing the flour and water was the job of us kids when we helped her cook in the kitchen. Combining the flour with cold water and stirring with a fork until all the flour is dissolved and no lumps remain helps ensure that there are no lumps later when thickening the gravy mixture.
Then when the beef broth mixture is heated to a rolling boil, it is time to slowly add the flour mixture while continuously mixing the broth with a whisk.
My Mother-in-law used to thicken her gravy with corn starch. This method produced a thick gravy that has a clear, jellied look to it.
Frozen or Fresh Beef Juice
Pan Drippings add so much Flavor
My mom did not freeze the pan drippings like I do if there are ever any extra. She only made the gravy if there were mashed potatoes and enough pan drippings to make gravy.
I use fresh if I have them, if not, I have used canned or drippings that I have previously frozen. These frozen drippings are great for flavoring soups too. Helps make them taste like you have been cooking all day.
Simple and Flavorful Meals
At our house, we use gravy often. Sometimes, we just layer the beef on bread and cover it with gravy for a simple and tasty treat.
Making Beef Gravy with Cream
Once you learn how easy it is to make a tasty and visually appealing gravy, you might be making it more often as it just adds so much to even a plain piece of meat. The sauciness just amps up any meal for us.
Simple Ingredients are used for this delicious recipe. Let’s find out what they are.
Flour and Water. Whenever I am using flour and water in my gravy, I use equal parts. It is important to make sure that they are fully mixed together. If you have a shaker jar, this would be a perfect use for that. Otherwise, a fork will work fine. I put my mixture in a glass so I can mix it easier with the fork. It is also easier to pour into the beef mixture when it is time.
Beef Juice. I prefer to use pan drippings. However, if I am not able to get that, I will use canned. Another good option is a beef soup base.
Water. Often the pan drippings are rather salty and reduced down; therefore, I add water to make it more saucy. However, sometimes, this might reduce the beefy taste. So, depending on the pan drippings, I might add more beef broth if I have it or stick to the water. You can also adjust the taste if needed by adding a bit of beef soup base if needed.
Half & Half. This creates such a rich tasting beef gravy. You can also use heavy cream. I have tried this with milk; however, it tends to curdle. Therefore stick to the fattier creams such as the half and half or heavy cream.
Creamy Beef Gravy
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 2 Tbl. flour
- 2 Tbl. water
- 1 Cup Beef Stock can be pan drippings, Au Jus, or beef soup base mixture
- 1 Cup water Use if the beef mixture is too salty or too rich. If not, just use 2 cups of beef stock.
- 1/2 Cup half & half
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the flour and 2 Tbl. of water in a glass and stir with a fork until there are no lumps. Or you can use a shaker cup with a lid and sake this mixture until combined with no lumps.
- In a saucepan, combine the beef juice and water as needed. Bring to a boil. Slowly pour in the flour and water mixture whisking the entire time until combined. Cook a minute or two until thickening (stirring constantly).
- Remove from heat and add the half and half. Salt and Pepper to taste.
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.