It's All Gravy

By Michelle Gamble

Its all Gravy
By Michelle Gamble

At home if there was ever a dish I could say was my favorite, it would have to be my mother’s Beef and Bell pepper Gravy. The aroma is enough to hit you like a sledge hammer, as soon as you came through the door. In times like that you almost wish you had a helmet; one that protected you from the delicious aroma of the thick meaty concoction. For the moment you smell it, you will want to devour it entirely.
It never ceased to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and in a way, it was better than even the best chicken noodle soup when it came to feeling at home. I remember one day when she said that she was planning on making it, I practically begged her to show me how. She was hesitant at first but with some persuading she taught me.
After learning for the first time I understood her hesitancy, it was complicated and not exactly precise. I was only ten or so at the time so I left it to my mother to fix, but I always watched her and helped out whenever possible. Then after a few years of observing her I gained the courage to make it myself. It turned out alright but it is definitely a trial and error recipe, which requires practice. After practicing for about a year, I finally managed to get it down to an art.
The first thing to do is acquire the ingredients. I found that the best gravy is made with rib-eye steaks because of their fat to meat ratio; however it can be made with any type, from sirloin to chuck steak. The bell peppers have to be green; the flavor will be more robust and will complement the beef better than the other colors. If you can’t find green peppers or just don’t have them, you can substitute them for mild green chilies, which have a slightly different flavor but at the same time add a depth that isn’t normally there.
Depending on how much you make, you will need liquid. The best form of liquid for this dish is beef broth. Why not water? Well technically you can use water but it usually cuts down the flavor, it won’t taste horrible if you use water, but it won’t have the fullness that beef broth produces. Sometimes it ends up being half water and half broth but again it is all in how much you make.
Flour is also a must; it thickens the broth and actually makes it gravy. Sometimes the flour isn’t enough, so have some corn starch on hand as well, just in case. If you want your gravy to taste like anything at all, salt and pepper is also highly recommended, as well as a bay leaf or two.
After getting all of the delicious ingredients listed above, you have to get the hardware to make the dish. You will need a large non-stick pot. Why non-stick? Because it makes for easier clean up, but still is able to produce the sear desired for cooking meat. You will also need a large spoon preferably thick plastic or wooden. Why Plastic or Wooden spoons? Non-stick pans have a coating on the bottom which metal spoons can ruin, and once ruined it’s a lot easier for things to stick to the bottom.

Now that you have everything you need, it’s time for the fun part. The cooking procedure starts with letting your pot warm up. The hotter the pan is the nicer the sear you will get on your meat. The sear is important because it locks in the flavor.
Place the meet evenly on the bottom of the pot. Try not to crowd it too much so it will cook thoroughly and evenly. After you place it in the pot add salt and pepper to the first side. Once that side is seared, flip them over and again add salt and pepper. After both sides are seared, take it out of the pot and place in the next batch of meat and repeat the process.
After you have completed searing all the meat return it to the pot and add just enough flour to lightly cover all of the meat and add more salt and pepper. With every step adding salt and pepper adds a layer of flavor and if forgotten the gravy will taste extremely bland.
Once the four is browned slowly stir in the beef broth or water, the motion of the stirring will keep the gravy from clumping up. While continuing to stir add the green peppers or chili and bay leafs and continue to stir until the mixture boils. This was usually my job when helping my mother; it’s a lot of stirring.

Check the consistency of the gravy after it starts to boil. If it isn’t as thick as you would like it; take the corn starch, and place a heaping table spoon of it in a container along with just enough water to dissolve it in. A container with a lid is best; this means instead of stirring you can shake the contents. Shaking is a more thorough way of mixing than stirring. However stirring is fine if you don’t have such a container. Poor the liquid cornstarch into the gravy just a little at a time. Make sure to keep the gravy in motion so that the cornstarch can be evenly distributed. Add the cornstarch until you decide that it is thick enough.
Congratulations you have finished all the cooking required of this dish, however the longer you let it cook the better it will taste so leave it alone for a while before digging in. Now is the perfect time to discuss side dishes. My personal favorite side dish is long grain steamed rice because when the gravy is poured on top of it the rice absorbs the entire flavor and gives it an irresistible texture. Other alternatives could be mashed potatoes or hash browns.
The serving possibilities are endless, but no matter how you serve it, the gravy will never cease to please your pallet.