Essentially a heavily peppered, bacon-infused bechamel, this gravy is perfect for smothering biscuits and chicken-fried steak.
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Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated May 03, 2024
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Why It Works
- Subbing bacon grease for butter adds smoky depth to the gravy.
- Freshly ground peppercorns yield gravy with the best flavor.
For all thesausageandpork bellyI went through in 2012, I ended the year an amazing ten pounds lighter than I started it. So instead of making the common New Year's resolution to shed weight, I'm giving myself free reign to relish in wintertime comforts, which translates to starting the year off with an exploration of hearty southern gravies.
Pepper gravyis a simple base that serves as building block to a whole host of other gravies. In essence, it's merely abechamelwith a strong peppery kick, but substituting bacon grease for butter imparts an underlying salty and meaty flavor that lets it rise above its "white sauce" origins.
To take full advantage of the pepper, it's important to go with fresh, coarsely ground black peppercorns, which create little pockets of intensely sharp heat that contrast with the rich and soothing creaminess, giving this gravy its character.
Pepper gravy is pretty all-purpose—it can go on pork chops, biscuits, mashed potatoes, etc.—but it doesn't get much better than when it's smothered on a chicken fried steak. Now that's how to start the year!
January 2013
Recipe Details
Pepper Gravy Recipe
Cook15 mins
Active10 mins
Total15 mins
Serves8to 10 servings
Makes2 cups
Ingredients
1/4 cup bacon grease
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
Heat bacon grease in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add in flour and whisk constantly until mixture turns light brown, about 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in milk. Stir in pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; season with salt and additional pepper to taste. Use immediately on chicken fried steak, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, or biscuits.
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Special Equipment
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 89 | Calories |
| 6g | Fat |
| 7g | Carbs |
| 3g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8to 10 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 89 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 6g | 7% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 12% |
| Cholesterol 8mg | 3% |
| Sodium 223mg | 10% |
| Total Carbohydrate 7g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 1% |
| Total Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 3g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 80mg | 6% |
| Iron 0mg | 2% |
| Potassium 105mg | 2% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
