Red Eye Gravy

O' Be Joyful

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The other day Obi asked for a Red Eye Gravy recipe so I checked out my wife's and it was so-so..I don't think she uses it but makes it out of her head.
I searched for a good recipe for Obi and this is what i found:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/red-eye-gravy-recipe-1806854
Thanks Mitch, I have it bookmarked.

I will try it and spoon some on my biscuits. Then sop up the rest with the left-over biscuits.
.

Although none of Grannie's were ever left...over.
 

Jim Klag

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Thanks Mitch, I have it bookmarked.

I will try it and spoon some on my biscuits. Then sop up the rest with the left-over biscuits.
.

Although none of Grannie's were ever left...over.
Make sure your pour some gravy over your grits and country ham, too.
 

O' Be Joyful

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My mom used to make RED EYE Gravy but I could not tell you for the life of me how she made it.... She was a southern girl...
My understanding is that you need "fresh" cured ham, which I bought. But maybe I shoulda soaked it first to rinse out some of the salt.

Mam'ma never wrote anything down. It has taken me dozens of years to find something close to her salty/brine pickles.

https://simplebites.net/make-old-fashioned-brine-fermented-pickles-like-your-great-grandmother/

I left out the pickling spices. They were almost perfect as I remembered them. But the grape leaves/or a substitute are a must too keep them crisp.
 

5fish

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Mom never soak a ham... Do you have a red eye ham? It should be cured with some sugar as well as salt... When you put it in a fry pan it should come out hard curst not soft like a ham steaks... My mom would use what is left in the pan to make her gravy but I think she just use a thicker .... You have to have the right ham...
 

Nitti

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Mom never soak a ham... Do you have a red eye ham? It should be cured with some sugar as well as salt... When you put it in a fry pan it should come out hard curst not soft like a ham steaks... My mom would use what is left in the pan to make her gravy but I think she just use a thicker .... You have to have the right ham...
You really need one of those sugar cured dried ham that you see in old shops,the ones you have to soak for days but remember to change the water
 

Jim Klag

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You really need one of those sugar cured dried ham that you see in old shops,the ones you have to soak for days but remember to change the water
Definitely not sugar-cured. Salt cured and dry aged. Smithfield or Culpeper in Virginia are great places to get them. You can get 'em online too.
 

diane

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If you have a too salty ham you can boil it in pineapple juice. It bakes up very delicious!

Red-eye gravy done right is wonderful - and it's an art. Some people recoil and say it's hot fat and coffee what's wrong with you!... Keep the crispy bits in while the pan is deglazing, and watch the reduction goes well. That's the secret - too many put the coffee in, get some chunks and there you go! Patience, young padwan...

And, I'll be doggoned, the biscuits are essential - must be fluffy, the kind found only in the South! (Really...that's where the soft wheat mostly comes from...)
 

Jim Klag

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If you have a too salty ham you can boil it in pineapple juice. It bakes up very delicious
The salty ham saves you from having to add any salt while cooking. I like it pretty salty, don't overdo the rinsing.
 

diane

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True! Granny used to sometimes add a small chili or red pepper flakes. It's a variation but the original is still the best!
 

Jim Klag

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True! Granny used to sometimes add a small chili or red pepper flakes. It's a variation but the original is still the best!
Yeah if you cook your eggs and gravy in the same pan that the ham was cooked in, no added salt is necessary.
 
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