Sawmill gravy is one of those Southern delicacies that Yankees somehow are genetically incapable of appreciating, according to my Dixie-side family.

I know this to be patently untrue. Northerners know their pork products, and they know their gravy. French Canadians have poutine, for cardiac’s sake! Gravy is a side order staple in Ontario. Wisconsinites and Minnesotans have their cheese curds.

Here’s the sawmill gravy recipe.

Software

1 lb breakfast sausage
1.25 ounces all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground back pepper to taste
1t to 1T red pepper, depending on heat desired
2 T butter, just in case the pork ends up being lean (it happens)

Hardware

Cast iron skillet, or whatever skillet you have on hand
Spatula, slotted
Whisk or fork

Method

1. Cook the sausage in the skillet with the red pepper flakes.

2. Once cooked, remove the meat to a plate or dish. Keep 2 ounces of fat behind. If you end up with too little fat, add some butter.

3. Whisk the flour into the fat a little bit at a time. Let it cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

4. Kill the heat. Move the skillet off of the burner. Whisk in the milk a little bit at a time.

5. Move the skillet back on the burner. Turn the burner back up to medium high heat. Whisk while the gravy comes to a simmer and thinkens.

6. Add crumbled sausage back in. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Pour it over toast, biscuits, English muffins, cornbread, johnycake, grits, or whatever.

You are welcome to try turkey sausage, ham or pork, soy milk, or any other attempts to cut the calories or fat. If they work, please post them here.

Credit goes to Alton Brown’s Good Eats recipe. His isn’t as spicy as I remembered Mom’s, though, so I tweaked.