[libertarian27]

Method help/request

I’m making pork gravy for 70 people tonight for a pork loin meal- eek!

I’ve got a gallon of pork broth ready (made Pernil this week) and will most likely use the Argo cornstarch recipe. I’m looking for technique hints....should I make the whole thing in one shot or do them in batches. How do you think I should go about this? Beside buying bunches of gravy mixes- lol.

[TheMom]

I would do it in batches, then mix them all together.

[John 3_19-21]

Depending on what and how much other food is being prepared you will need roughly 2-3 ounces of gravy per serving. You can count on some people wanting less and some more, but that number should work. 2 gallons is a safe bet.
Here is a recipe I would use
½ cup vegetable oil
3cups diced onion
2 cups diced green pepper
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced carrots
6 cloves garlic chopped
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley chopped
1 gallon fresh made pork stock
1 1/2 gallons water
2 tablespoons gravy master or kitchen bouquet (caramel color)
1/3 cup Better Than Bouillon ham base (or 4 -5 bouillon cubes)
½ teaspoon thyme leaves
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
Salt to taste

1 Place oil in a large pot and brown the onions, peppers, celery and carrots for 15-20 minutes on med-med-high until well browned and aromatic. (this will give your gravy that home-made flavor).
Add add remaining ingredients and simmer until liquid is reduced by 30% (leaving 2 gallons or so).
Pour gravy through a strainer mashing the vegetables while you do to get every last drop of flavor.
Place gravy back on the stove and bring to a boil. Thick with either flour and water or cornstarch and water method.
Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes to fully cook starch or flour.

You can do this in two pots if you don’t have a big one

Hope this helps.

[dunblak]

i always put the cornstarch in a blender with some of the stock before i add it to the rest of the ingredients to make sure it has no lumps...

[Flamenco Lady]

When I last made a large quantity of gravy using broth I made a roux by melting butter on very low heat and adding an equal amount of flour to it and cooking it out on the lowest heat possible for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the flour flavor. (I prefer to use spelt flour for my gravies since it gives the gravy a fuller flavor).

I then gradually add broth to the roux stirring pretty constantly and gradually bring the heat up and stir it until it thickens. I use two tablespoons of spelt flour for every cup of broth and an equal amount of butter).

I also like to add a little brewed coffee to my gravy to give the gravy a richer flavor. I usually wait until the very end and use it to thin the gravy just a little bit until it is the perfect consistency.

I have used this recipe to make half gallon batches of gravy numerous times and gallon batches of it every Thanksgiving for years and it comes out perfect for me every time.

[grapeape]

If you want to add flavor without item in the finished sauce just add them to the boiling stock before you add the water cornstarch mixture. Then when the flavors meld just filter out the ingredients and then thicken the gravy with the cornstarch. The gravy will look cleaner. So many flavors go with that dish that it really depends on what part of the country you're from more than what is considered great.

[radpolis]

Hi, I am a classically trained chef.

If you already have a lot of pork stock on hand, you basically have the gravy done.

Just reduce the stock until it gets the flavor you want.

If the stock is weak, then you can fortify with the aromatics—celery, onion, and carrots, and bouquet garnie/sachet(thyme, pepper corn, bay leaf, parsley). Whatever you like, actually. You really don’t need any artificial flavor enhancers.

But my suggestion is reduce it, even if you add that stuff. The reduction is what fortifies the flavor.

And remember to strain it.

Then add roux to strained stock.

You can make roux of any fat and flour. Normally, the fat is butter.

You can even use rendered pork fat for the roux.

The proportion is one part flour, one part fat.

To make roux, melt butter/fat, add flour, mix, then when it starts to bubble and puff up a bit, take it off the heat to cool.

Note: Don’t overcook the roux and wait for it to cool before you add to hot liquid.

Also, don’t add salt to the gravy until the end. Believe it or not, salt is the most important ingredient, but in a reduced gravy, don’t salt until you are finished or the end product will be too salty.

You don’t need to make in batches. You can make everything in one big stock pot. And make the roux in a saute pan.

Last note: You should skin the gravy of oil, particles or white stuff that floats in the stock.