Comfort Foods - Bizkits and Gravy

It was a dark and stormy night….. and I was hungry for some comfort food. We are in between rain storms here in “Sandy Eggo”. So, it has been exceedingly cold and wet for 4 days. To me, "cold and wet" means it's time for some “good ol down home cookin”... Some food that sticks to your ribs. Things like Mac & Cheese, Meatloaf and my personal breakfast favorite… Biscuits and Gravy. This is one of my favorite breakfast foods, but every once in awhile I am infused with a “devil may care” attitude and enjoy breaking the rules, being a rebel, and eating “breakfast” foods for dinner…

I know, I know…..

I can tell that you are all shocked and appalled at my audacity to suggest such an obviously anarchist idea. What's next? A meal, in between breakfast and lunch, consisting of foods like Quiche Lorraine, cantelope and champagne mixed with Cranberry or Orange Juice?!?!

The Humanity!!

And we will give it a silly name by taking the first part of the word “breakfast” and the last part of the word “lunch”. Oh, Wait…. Br-unch already exists, doesn't it…? Crazy me.

OK, brunch aside, I feel it is my duty, as a fellow member of the human race, to resist the status quo and expunge the myths that pigeon-hole foods, chaining them mercilessly to one meal or another. All food should be free… To be eaten anytime, anyplace….

Ehem……

So tonight my rebellious self is making Biscuits and Gravy

First one must make biscuits, for without good Buttermilk Biscuits, “Biscuits and Gravy” would be nothing more than “Gravy”. While gravy is all well and good, the biscuit provides the starch necessary to stick the gravy to your ribs (That is my story and I am sticking to it) .

Ye Olde Buttermilk Biscuits
Thanks Mom!!!

3 3/4 - 4 Cups AP Flour - divided
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder (I use Rumford’s – it’s Double Acting AND Aluminum Free)
7 TB Browned Butter, melted
1 1/2 cup Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450
In a large bowl, whisk 3 1/2 cups Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, and Baking Powder.

In a small bowl, mix the melted Butter and the Buttermilk.
Pour Butter/Buttermilk into the flour mixture.

Stir until sticky dough is formed.

If dough is TOO sticky, add another 1/4 cup of the flour and knead in quickly.

Turn out onto a board floured with the remaining 1/4 cup of flour.
Roll dough to 1/3 - 1/2 inches thick and cut out with, well, a cutter.

Move to an un-greased sheet pan and bake for 12 – 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool just long enough to not burn your hands before eating

when splitting it in two, and dousing with the following gravy recipe

Country Sausage Gravy

1 lb pork sausage (I use Italian a lot)
1/4 cup plus 1 TB flour
2 1/2 cups Whole Milk
Kosher Salt & Black pepper to Taste

Remove sausage casings (if necessary) and brown over medium heat.

Add Flour and stir to coat sausage, browning the flour a little bit (1 - 2 minutes) to remove the "Raw" flour flavor.

Add milk and continue heating over medium low to prevent scorching, stirring occasionally.

Gravy will come to a slow boil and begin to thicken; cook to the desired thickness.

Season with salt an pepper
Break biscuits in half and place on a plate.

Smother with gravy.

mmmm G R A V Y!!!
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