Pan sauces and gravies are delicious concoctions that use the pan drippings from roasted meats to make a silky sauce that can accompany the meat. It's usually, and delectably, poured on top of side dishes like mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables.
Easy to make, our pan gravy makes the best of the flavorful bits and juices remaining in the bottom of a pan after roasting a turkey, a chicken, a rack of pork, or a beef roast, amongst other delicious meat cuts. Just flour, stock, and butter, beyond the drippings, is all that's needed to make this succulent gravy.
All gravies are made with fat, liquid, and a thickening agent, usually flour. Once you've mastered our simple recipe, there are endless ways in which you can make gravy from your pan drippings, obtaining different flavors and textures. Butter is usually the fat used in making these types of preparations, but olive oil, margarine, or lard are also common depending on your dietary preferences. Cornstarch is often used in lieu of flour to cater to gluten-free diets, and stock, broth, and sometimes milk are used as the liquid. A splash of heavy cream is preferred by some cooks, to add body to the gravy. No matter which way you go, always whisk well and season the gravy to enhance the flavor of the drippings.
Your Frequently Asked Holiday Questions, Answered
We made our gravy with the drippings from preparing a steak, but you can use the drippings from a roast. Before you start, be sure to scrape off all the bits from your roasting pan and skim off some of the liquid fat that might be on top.
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"This is a great technique that can be used to turn the brown bits at the bottom of a sauté pan or roasting pan into a flavorful gravy. It's incredibly easy to do and takes well to variations like adding a splash of wine, sherry, or madeira." —Danielle Centoni
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
2 tablespoons pan drippings
1 1/2 cups stock, wine, or water
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
Steps to Make It
Gather the ingredients.
See AlsoBeef and BroccoliHeat the drippings in a large skillet on medium-high heat. If using pan drippings from a roast, place them in the pan with all the brown bits and pieces.
Add the stock, stirring well with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the bits and pieces that could be stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Bring the mixture to a boil, constantly scraping to loosen the drippings from the pan.
In asmall bowl, combine the water with the flour and mix until smooth.
Stir the flour mixture into the pan and bring to a boil. Boil until the sauce thickens and reduces, about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until you've achieved a hom*ogenous silky gravy.
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How to Use Cornstarch as a Thickener?
If you need to use cornstarch to thicken the gravy either because you don't have flour at hand or because the gravy needs to be gluten-free, use only half the amount you'd use if it was flour. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener so for our recipe you don't need a full tablespoon. Start with a slurry of 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water. Mix it in the gravy and allow the sauce to thicken.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 72 | Calories |
| 5g | Fat |
| 4g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 5 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 72 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 5g | 7% |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 16% |
| Cholesterol 14mg | 5% |
| Sodium 167mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 4g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 1g | |
| Protein 2g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 1% |
| Calcium 4mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 79mg | 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.)
Recipe Tags:
- sauce
- pork gravy
- side dish
- french
