Southern-style biscuits with sawmill gravy
Scone-like buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage gravy is a breakfast favourite in the American South. Traditionally the gravy, similar to a white sauce, is made with breakfast sausage – always pork and formed into patties – while the biscuits are often shortened with lard. It’s rich and tasty dish, and would be great with a fried egg or Southern-style fried chicken. We’ve included a recipe for lard – you really can’t beat freshly made – but butter works perfectly in the biscuits and gravy.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 1 hr 40 mins (plus cooling)
Makes 13
60 gm lard or butter
4 pork sausages (about 480gm), removed from casing and coarsely crumbled 30 gm plain flour
700 ml milk
Melted butter, for brushing
Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and hot sauce, to serve
Lard
500 gm pork back-fat, diced (see note)
Buttermilk biscuits
320 gm self-raising flour
50 gm lard
240 ml buttermilk
Melted butter, for brushing
1 To make lard, combine fat and 80ml water in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir occasionally, adding extra water to pan if fat starts to brown
(be careful, hot fat may spit) until fat renders
(1-1½ hours). Strain through a metal sieve and discard crackled fat. Cool and store in a sterilised jar. You should have about 300ml. Lard will keep refrigerated for up to a month.
2 For buttermilk biscuits, preheat oven to 200C, and combine flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in 50gm cooled lard with your fingertips, then make a well in the centre and stir in buttermilk until almost combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead to bring dough together; don’t overwork or the air will be knocked out and they’ll be tough. Roll out to
1cm thick, then cut out rounds with a 4.5cm-5cm cutter and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush tops with melted butter and bake until golden (10-12 minutes). Keep warm.
3 Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp lard in a large frying pan over high heat, add sausage and fry until browned and crisp on the edges (5-6 minutes). The sausage might stick a bit, which is fine for flavour – just don’t let it burn. Set sausage aside and add remaining lard or butter to the pan.
When it starts to sizzle add flour and stir until it turns sand-coloured (2-3 minutes). Gradually add milk, stirring well between additions, and continue stirring until smooth (5 minutes). Season to taste, scatter with parsley and serve warm with biscuits. Note Pork back-fat needs to be ordered ahead from the butcher.
Drink suggestion A restorative shot of bourbon.>