I'm Mad and I Eat Cranky's Food

My work is finished. Cranky made gravy.

Cranky Made Gravy.

I dashed into the kitchen at one point, to see if he needed any help. No. He was finished. (I will add here, though, that according to me, he wasn't finished. His gravy was too thick and floury, and needed more stock stirred in, with additional cooking time. He appreciated the fine tuning.)

We were both pleased with the results, and I have something to share: You can make beef gravy from hamburger. We discovered this when we made loco moco a while back. After the beef patties are fried in a skillet, the grease in the pan is really good; they say fat is where all the flavor is. Stir in some flour, and cook this roux to remove the raw flour taste. Then begin drizzling in your beef stock (we bought ours at a fabulous butcher we are patronizing; the hamburger, too).

The gravy will be pale, alas. We decided to cheat a little by stirring in a small spoonful of Bovril. And a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Voilà, color, and heightened flavor. The version in this picture was a bit paler than the one I concocted for my moco; for some reason, Cranky was pissed off at the Bovril jar and skimped, badly. But the flavor was so good.

I know, you're seriously grossed out. Doesn't matter. We're definitely making gravy this way whenever we cook up some of that superb ground beef, and you should be jealous. We even have a little gravy left over, in the fridge.

Somebody is going to make poutine soon. My work is finished.