Making homemade gravy - too much effort?

[fifteenmillionmerits]

Once every three/four weeks, me and DP do a roast. I take care of the meat and he does the vegetables. Last Christmas we went round to stay with my parents (in our support bubble); when we there we helped them cook the turkey on the day.

A few hours after getting back to our home, DP asked me why I hadn't just used shop bought gravy granules or the like. I explained (as I've tried to before) that it was traditional for me and my parents to make our own gravy - we boil the bones in a pressure cooker to make the stock. At Christmas I add the turkey neck, giblets, etc to the mix, as I don't like throwing them away when they can be used. When I've got the time I cook more for fun than just necessity, so I enjoy seeing what comes out of leftovers that might have otherwise gone to the bin.

Am I really the only one who makes their own gravy?

Ooh I love making my own gravy it's the best!!

Well the way you make it sounds like a faff.

I just add water and a stock cube to whatever meat I'm cooking and then tip all the juice/water into a pan while the meat is resting and thicken it with cornflour on the hob.

I always make gravy and did a vegetable trivet last week which was used in the gravy them strained. Was great then remains went in a soup

I’m vegetarian so it’s onion gravy here. Bisto is just MSG, salt and brown food colouring (at least the vegetarian version is) and I can’t imagine ruining a meal with it, so it’s home made. Hone made is very little effort anyway.

I can make gravy. But find it a proper fucking faff, especially as I also like to do my potatoes against the meat. I don't like bisto tho. So I cheat and buy pouches of gravy instead. Morrisons is lovely, M and S lets cook is lovely, tescos is OK. Makes me happy anyway.

Gravy is my nemesis! I simply can't make it. Where am I going wrong? I've tried so many recipes, but it is alway too watery or goes lumpy from the flour or tastes bland. I can generally cook OK, but I simply can't make gravy, so rely on tubs.

Gravy here is every Saturday -

1. Juices from the pan
2. Mixed into stock made from cube
3. Boiled with golden fried onions for flavour
4. Gluten free flour to thicken

On occasion - I might add Worcestershire sauce, or wine - depending on what meat it is.

Everyone loves it!

Ahhhhh Bisto all the way for me.

I don’t see the point of making a roast if you aren’t going to make gravy from the drippings. It’s the only reason I bother to make a roast in the first place.

@Navigationcentral

Gravy here is every Saturday -

1. Juices from the pan
2. Mixed into stock made from cube
3. Boiled with golden fried onions for flavour
4. Gluten free flour to thicken

On occasion - I might add Worcestershire sauce, or wine - depending on what meat it is.

Everyone loves it!

I do almost the same and it is very quick and easy. My secret ingredient it a dash of jam and sometimes port. I just roast an onion with the meat and then it can be added to the stock cube along with the meat juices.

@Strangekindofwoman

I'm sure no one on MN will confess to using gravy granules.

I will.

Aldi's own brand is by far the best.

I've never known anyone to make gravy. I don't think I'd know where to start. But I think I'm somewhat less middle class than most posters.

I'm lazy as can e but home made gravy is a no negotiable as part of a roast, mine generally involves a bottle of wine.

gravy is totally my nemesis.
I make everything else myself, but gravy eludes me, despite following lots of different recipes. So I resort to a Bisto base, simmer with red wine, meat juices, and worcestershire sauce.

MixedUpFiles - This is my reasoning as well. I think DP only questioned making gravy at Christmas because there was so much else to be cooked besides - our turkey, the veg, bread sauce, stuffing. At Christmas we usually go all out when the families meet up.

It does take more time to make homemade gravy. We don't always make it; DP's family used Bisto granules and prefer them to making their own if we eat at theirs.

My DH does it in the roasting pan from the meat with flour and gravy browning. Used the veg water. Sometimes wine.

I use bistro and add wine sometimes and herbs to make it more like his.

I've never made gravy. Seemed like too much hassle but having read this thread I'm going to try!

Having said that, granules with veg water and meat juices is actually very lovely.

I don't like wine in gravy.

I absolutely love gravy, for me it's the most important part of a roast. However, I don't like gravy made with gravy granules very much - we always make it from scratch. I tend to make bigger batches and freeze individual portions e.g. for bangers and mash though. I think I'll try the beef casserole leftover pureeing tip above though, that sounds like a good time saver.

I always make my own gravy with meat juices and/or vegetables, cornflour, sometimes some wine although I do use stock melts in it too as I don't usually have loads of bones to boil.
I don't like any gravy made with granules, it either tastes too salty or doesn't taste of anything.

@MrsMcTats

Gravy is my nemesis! I simply can't make it. Where am I going wrong? I've tried so many recipes, but it is alway too watery or goes lumpy from the flour or tastes bland. I can generally cook OK, but I simply can't make gravy, so rely on tubs.

Literally all I do is bung the meat in the oven with a stock cube and a decent mug full of water in the dish , perhaps a splash of wine / cider if I have it to hand and maybe a spoon of redcurrant jelly/ apple sauce/ cranberry sauce if I have some in.

Take meat out of the oven. Pour all juices and scrapings into a saucepan and put it on the hob to boil. Mix a tablespoon of cornflour with a tablespoon of cold water in a mug and then tip it into the boiling pan of meat juices and stir.

If it's still too watery you can either reduce it down by boiling it or mix up another cornflour and water mix and add a little at a time. If it's too thick just add some water from the veg or tap.

I always save any left over gravy and use it when I'm making sausage and mash etc.

@pastabest great tips, thank you

We usually make proper gravy, but use bought for midweek sausage and mash or if I fancy gravy and chips.

Proper gravy is beautiful but Bisto has a place.

Cook meat. Take out of oven, put on plate to rest for a while in warm place (not just to make time to make gravy, it's also much better eating and easier to carve if rested). Add stock or veg water to the roasting tin*, place over heat and bring to the boil. Scrape all the stuff sticking to the base of the pan off and whisk up. Meanwhile, mix some Bisto powder with cold water in a mug or cup until fully dissolved. Once liquid in roasting tin is boiling, stir in Bisto liquid (quickly) and whisk briskly until it thickens. Turn heat down and leave it to simmer for a few minutes so starch (in Bisto powder) cooks through. Taste to check seasoning. Serve.

Bisto powder is what my Mum's always used. It's potato and wheat starch, onion powder, brown colouring and some salt. No MSG.

*At Christmas I make stock using the giblets that come with the turkey. At other times I'd use stock powder or cube. No doubt at all that the giblet stock is better but it's not always convenient/possible to make proper meat stock at other times.

**Or scrape off all the stuff left in the roasting tin and put in a saucepan, then as above

I love bisto with added cooking juices from the meat! Never actually tried making from scratch.

I used to use bisto and thought it was fine until a few years ago when I learnt to make it from scratch. Bisto tastes of thick water now.

Usually I add chopped up veg, onions and wine to the roasting pan. Deglaze with wine and stock then add some cornflour to thicken. Really easy. I try to make more than we need but it's impossible as it all gets used anyway.