Gravy . . . without drippings. Help? Please?

[mlkind1789]

Whenever I make bacon, I put the drippings in a container and keep it in my freezer.  Why yes, I am Southern, what gave it away?     I use it for all kinds of things and it is great for making gravy when you don't have enough drippings from the meat. 

Just add some to the drippings you have and melt it in a pan, add flour and make a roux (whatever darkness you prefer) then add milk and salt and pepper to taste.

[blarg314]

Whenever I make bacon, I put the drippings in a container and keep it in my freezer.  Why yes, I am Southern, what gave it away?     I use it for all kinds of things and it is great for making gravy when you don't have enough drippings from the meat. 

Just add some to the drippings you have and melt it in a pan, add flour and make a roux (whatever darkness you prefer) then add milk and salt and pepper to taste.

Oh yeah, the wonders of bacon drippings!

It also makes a great start to cream of potato soup. Use bacon drippings instead of oil or butter to saute your onions until soft, add good chicken stock and potatoes, cook until potatoes are soft, and puree.  You get a lovely smoky flavour, and it's not at all greasy.

Mind you, I've currently got four types  of rendered fat on hand - duck fat, home-made lard, bacon drippings, and ghee.

[HeebyJeebyLeebee]

I've started doing the roux thing.  Oh HEAVEN!  I use different fats for different thing, but I'm sold on roux now.  DH still uses a corn starch slurry when he's making gravy, but he can taste the difference and prefer roux.

[Zilla]

My normal gravy for pork is as others have mentioned carmalised onions and mushrooms in a pan and then add cider and use flour to thicken.

I would also sear the meat on all sides in a pan on high heat.  Then roast it the pork like normal.

Meanwhile in that same pan, then saute the onions/mushrooms to pick up the seared bits in there and use a good chicken stock (I am a huge fan of the chicken broth paste like better than bouillion etc)  And thicken it with bit of flour or cornstarch your choice.  (You can also use a white wine to deglaze the pan too)

I grew up on gravy packets or jarred gravy, blech.  I am slowly but surely weaning my mom off of it.

[Bethalize]

My suggestions:
(1) Have a dripping pot.
(2) Buy fat from the butcher. I think beef dripping is better than lard though. Lard makes the gravy cloying.
(3) Use vegetable or olive oil. I use a tablespoon of oil to two tablespoons of flour. Use stock or boullion to give it flavour.

[VorFemme]

Not a gravy - but a glaze or a sauce - cooking sherry & soy sauce with some melted apple jelly (if it cools - it's a glaze, if you eat it before it gels, it's a sauce).  It makes a great glaze (I just need to get the recipe book for the proportions - check the Etiquette Hell Forum Recipe section, I might have put it in there a couple of years ago).