Source Attribution
Original Cookbook Name: Big Mama’s Old Black Pot
Published By: Stoke Gabriel Enterprises, Inc.
Year of Publication: 1989
Page Number: 96
Category: Gravies
Author / Contributor: Ethel Rayson Dixon
Country gravies represent the soul of Southern cooking—the alchemy of transforming simple pan drippings, flour, and liquid into silky, flavorful sauces that turn humble meals into feasts. In African American kitchens, gravy-making was both an art and an act of resourcefulness, ensuring that nothing from the skillet went to waste. The fat left behind from frying chicken, pork chops, or sausage became the foundation for gravies that could stretch a meal, soak into biscuits, blanket rice, or enrich vegetables. These five gravy recipes—Brown Flour, Cream, Giblet, Red Eye, and Tomato—showcase the versatility and creativity of Southern cooks who understood that a good gravy could elevate any plate. Whether served at breakfast with biscuits, Sunday dinner with fried chicken, or weeknight suppers with pork chops, gravies brought richness, comfort, and satisfaction to the table. The techniques passed down through generations—knowing when the roux is the right color, how to prevent lumps, when to add liquid—represent culinary wisdom that can’t be rushed or shortcuts. In Big Mama’s kitchen, gravy wasn’t just a sauce; it was love made liquid, the finishing touch that said, “I care enough to make this special for you.”
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons fat in skillet
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1-1/2 cups cold water
Instructions (Original)
Heat 2 Tablespoons fat in skillet.
Add 3 Tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Stir until mixture is dark brown.
Add 1-1/2 cups cold water.
Simmer approximately 5 minutes.
Cream Gravy
Ingredients (As Written in the Book)
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions (Original Text) Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet. Stir in 2 Tablespoons flour until well blended. Add 1 cup milk. Season to taste. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
Giblet Gravy
Ingredients
- Giblets (from poultry)
- 3 cups water
- Fat from the roasted poultry pan
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Stock from boiled giblets
- Chopped giblets
Instructions
Boil giblets in 3 cups water and set aside.
Pour fat from pan in which poultry has been roasted.
Save about 4 Tablespoons of fat.
Add 3 Tablespoons flour and stir until brown.
Add 3 cups stock from boiled giblets.
Stir until smooth and thickened.
Add chopped giblets.
Red Eye Gravy
Ingredients
- Fat left in the skillet after frying meat
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
Instructions
Red eye gravy can only be made with fat left after meat has been fried.
Meat must be fried without flour or batter.
Pour hot drippings from skillet into gravy bowl.
While very hot add 1/4 cup cold water and simmer 1/2 minute or until residue has blended with water.
Put gravy spoon in bowl containing fat before pouring mixture from skillet into bowl.
The spoon will help absorb the heat from the hot fat and help prevent splattering.
Tomato Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons meat drippings in skillet
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup tomato juice
- 1-1/2 cups cold water
Instructions
Heat 2 Tablespoons meat drippings in skillet.
Stir in 3 Tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
When mixture is dark brown, add mixture of 1/2 cup tomato juice and 1-1/2 cups cold water.
Simmer approximately 5 minutes.
Editor’s Note (Guidance)
Brown Flour Gravy: The key is patience—stir constantly as the flour browns to prevent burning. The darker the roux, the richer the flavor, but watch carefully as it can go from perfect to burnt quickly. This gravy pairs beautifully with pork chops, meatloaf, or mashed potatoes.
Cream Gravy (White Gravy): Also known as “sawmill gravy” or “country gravy,” this is the classic accompaniment to Southern biscuits and fried chicken. For sausage gravy, brown crumbled breakfast sausage in the skillet first, then use the rendered fat to make the gravy, stirring the cooked sausage back in at the end.
Giblet Gravy: Perfect for Thanksgiving and holiday meals. The giblets (heart, gizzard, liver, and neck) should be simmered until very tender, about 1-2 hours. Some cooks prefer to discard the liver if it makes the gravy too bitter. Strain the stock before using if you want a smoother gravy.
Red Eye Gravy: A traditional Southern gravy most commonly made with country ham drippings. The name comes from the “eye” of fat that floats in the center of the watery gravy. It’s thin and intensely flavored—meant to be poured over grits, biscuits, or rice rather than served as a thick sauce. Some versions add a splash of strong black coffee instead of water for extra depth.
Tomato Gravy: A Southern favorite that’s often overlooked but absolutely delicious over rice, biscuits, or fried fish. You can use fresh tomatoes (peeled and chopped) instead of tomato juice for a chunkier version. Add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are too acidic.
General Gravy Tips: Always whisk constantly when adding liquid to prevent lumps. If lumps form, strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve. Gravies will thicken as they cool, so if reheating, you may need to add a splash of water or stock to thin them out. Season gravies at the end of cooking, tasting as you go—the saltiness of meat drippings varies greatly.
Cultural Insight
The five gravies in this collection tell the story of Southern cooking’s adaptability and regional variations. Brown Flour Gravy and Cream Gravy represent the fundamental techniques every cook needed to master—the ability to turn pan drippings into something that could bind a meal together. Giblet Gravy speaks to the “use every part” philosophy, ensuring that even the organs of a holiday bird contributed to the feast. Red Eye Gravy, with its distinctive thin, salty character, is most associated with country ham and rural Southern breakfast tables, where it would be served alongside grits and eggs. Tomato Gravy reflects the summer garden’s bounty and the influence of both African and European cooking traditions that valued tomatoes as a foundational ingredient.
In Black Southern households, gravy-making was a skill passed from elder to younger, often learned by watching rather than measuring. Cooks developed an intuitive sense for when the roux was the right color, when to add liquid, and how long to simmer. The gravy pot was rarely left unattended—a good cook knew that gravy could go from perfect to ruined in moments of inattention. These gravies also represent different economic realities: Cream Gravy required butter and milk (a luxury for some families), while Red Eye Gravy could be made with just the fat and water left in the pan. Tomato Gravy stretched meat drippings further with garden vegetables, feeding more mouths with less.
Big Mama’s collection of gravies acknowledges what every Southern cook knew: gravy is never just one thing. It adapts to what’s available, what’s been cooked, and what the meal needs. Whether thick and creamy or thin and intense, gravies provided flavor, moisture, and the finishing touch that transformed ordinary ingredients into extraordinary comfort food. In the Black culinary tradition, mastering gravy meant mastering one of the essential skills of hospitality—the ability to take what you have and make it more than enough.
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