Yield: 4 Servings

Kimberly Killebrew / Daring Gourmet

If you’re looking for a delicious brown mushroom gravy, look no further!
Absolutely nothing beats homemade when it comes to gravy and there is no reason whatsoever to resort to the packaged stuff because one, homemade is easy enough to make; two, the packaged stuff is full of junk ingredients; and three, packaged doesn’t come anywhere close to the flavor of made-from-scratch gravy!
For a mushroom gravy with great depth of flavor, here are a few tips: Butter is a great option for sauteing the onions and mushrooms, but for even more flavor use beef drippings, lard or bacon grease. Then cook the onions until they’re nicely golden brown, which is key to the flavor of the gravy. Do the same with the mushrooms, caramelizing them for optimal flavor. While cornstarch can be used for thickening, flour is the best choice for flavor. Add some extra butter to the caramelized onions and mushrooms, then add the flour and cook it for a couple of minutes. This roux-like method is absolutely key to the flavor of the gravy.
Serve this delicious brown mushroom gravy over roasts, steaks, meatloaf, roast chicken, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and more!

• 2TBS butter, bacon grease, lard or beef drippings
• 1yellow onion ,finely chopped
• 1clove garlic ,minced
• 16oz fresh mushrooms of choice (I used button mushrooms in the photos) ,cleaned and sliced
• 4TBS unsalted butter
• 4TBS all-purpose flour
• 2cups strong beef broth
• 2tsp balsamic vinegar
• ½tsp sea salt plus more to taste
• ½tsp sugar
• ¼tsp dried thyme
• ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: For a creamy gravy, add a few TBS of heavy cream at the end

Melt the butter (or bacon grease, lard or beef drippings – any of these will yield the most flavor) in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the onions until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes or until golden and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.

Add the butter and melt. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continually.

Add the beef broth, vinegar, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk continually until the gravy is thickened. Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer the gravy thinner add a little more water (or heavy cream if using)