Mormon Gravy

Mormon Gravy

This is a recipe that I (being your mom) grew up on.  My mother made it often and always served it with Bisquick drop biscuits.  Dad's family had biscuits and/or cornbread on the table each day, always made from scratch whereas my mother made biscuits the easy way.  Anyway, back to our family history of eating "Mormon Gravy."  I'm sure that my mother grew up on this, too, since it's an easy way to feed a lot of people and she came from a family of 12 children.  

"Mormon Gravy" is a milk gravy and is a way of using pan drippings and little bits of meat left from whatever kind of meat was cooked for a previous meal.  Pioneers, including the Mormons had to use every bit of food they had in the most economical way they could and I'm sure this was often made with water when milk wasn't available.

Dad and I made it with ground beef, the way my mother did, but also used it with dried beef (the kind that comes in a little glass - you children probably remember having those as juice glasses when you were growing up).  When we made the gravy with dried beef torn into little pieces (chipped beef) we often served it over rice.  When Dad was in the Army it was served over toast but I won't tell you what the soldiers in the mess hall called it - ask him!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons meat drippings Not being as poor as the pioneers, we always started by cooking some ground beef, as did my  mother.  Sometimes, she would make hamburgers the night before and save the pan with a little bit of meat to make Mormon Gravy for breakfast in the morning.  We stretched a pound of ground beef to feed a growing family by leaving all of the beef in and using it as a main meal.  Obviously, it can be made with whatever meat one has and, if a little more oil is needed some can be added.

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk 

Salt and pepper

Directions

Leave 3 tablespoons fat drippings infrying pan in which meat was cooked. Add flour and brown slightlywhile stirring. Remove from heat and add milk, stirring well toblend. Return to heat; cook and stir until mixture is thick andsmooth. Season to taste. Serve with potatoes, biscuits, or cornbread.Note: This gravy is usually made from fried beef drippings, but othermeat drippings are commonly used.

Making this is not an exact recipe.  There are numerous recipes for this type of gravy on the Internet.  This happens to be closest to what my mother (your Grandmother Munroe) made.  Amounts may vary so feel free to experiment should you decide to try it.  


Below is a copy of a little handout that I gave the Relief Society Sister in our Branch in New Delhi when I taught a Homemaking Meeting and we talked about the Mormon Pioneers.


Side Pork andMormon Gravy

*Mormongravy, common fare among the early settlers and apparently a creationof necessity expressly for the times, is still hearty and nourishingfor many of this generation who like to make it with ground beef orfrizzled ham or bacon and serve it over baked potatoes.

* Iate a lot of “Mormon Gravy” while growing up. My mother made itwith ground (minced) beef and always served it with biscuits and aside dish of peas. In America, biscuits (in India, biscuits refer to cookies)refer to small quick breads, which use baking powder or baking sodato make them rise. They are tender and light. The tradition ofeating “Mormon Gravy” is one that was passed down throughgenerations from my Mormon Pioneer ancestors. – Sister Walley

8thick slices side pork (or thick-cut bacon strips)

4tablespoons meat drippings

3tablespoons flour

2cups milk

Salt,pepper, paprika

Cookmeat on both sides in heavy frying pan until crisp. Remove from panand keep warm. Measure fat and return desired amount to skillet. Addflour and brown slightly. Remove from heat and add milk, stirringwell to blend. Return to heat and cook and stir until mixture isthick and smooth. Season to taste. Serve with side pork on potatoes,biscuits, cornbread, or even pancakes.