BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS: OLD SAWMILL GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. Chef's Note: Per one story, the origins of "sawmill" gravy comes from the fact that it was served to the lumberjacks working at the sawmills in the timber-rich mountains of the East. It was a simple dish using bacon drippings, and ground cornmeal; however, it was nutritious enough to keep the men on their feet until lunch. Sometimes, if the gravy was too thick, the men complained that the cooks must have put sawdust into the gravy.
• 3. Chef's Note: If you are curious, here is an original recipe for sawmill gravy from an 1867 cookbook: Sawmill Gravy • 1 tablespoon bacon drippings • 3 heaping tablespoons white cornmeal • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 2 cups milk • dash of pepper I have been told that this original recipe is still being served to lumberjacks up in the Pacific Northwest.
• 4. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 5. Add the chopped bacon to a saucepan, over medium heat.
• 6. Cook until the bacon fat melts into the saucepan, about 3 - 5 minutes.
• 7. Add the crumbled sausage.
• 8. Continue to cook until the sausage begins to brown.
• 9. Chef's Tip: Keep the saucepan active by stirring regularly.
• 10. Add the flour.
• 11. Stir until completely incorporated into the sausage/bacon mixture, about 2 - 4 minutes.
• 12. Chef's Note: Cooking the flour for a couple of minutes, will help to eliminate that "flour" taste.
• 13. Add the milk and cream.
• 14. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until it thickens, about 5 - 7 minutes.
• 15. Add the vinegar, and then season with the cayenne, salt, and pepper, to taste.
• 16. PLATE/PRESENT
• 17. Serve over a couple of freshly-made buttermilk biscuits, with a bottle of hot sauce on the side. Enjoy.
• 18. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.