Eat Like A Cowboy With 2-Ingredient Red-Eye Gravy

Gravy is one food that you may be surprised to learn comes in many, many forms. There's classic turkey gravy, sausage gravy (which is perfect for smothering biscuits with), and one type of gravy that you may have forgotten about (or never realized existed in the first place): red-eye gravy. 

This type of gravy is very popular in the South. One origin story says that Colonel Andrew Jackson (yes, the Andrew Jackson that eventually became the president of the United States) demanded his soldiers make him a gravy that was as red as their eyes following a night of drinking. The name may have also been credited to the fact that swirling the main ingredients in this recipe — hot coffee and grease (often from ham) — creates what looks like a red-eye. Others say that the recipe was created by accident, when someone dropped espresso into a pan of ham grease.

But where did the coffee — and cowboy — component come from, exactly? Although coffee might sound like a modern fixture, well, cowboys were making it over the fire for a long, long time. And, since the gravy's other companion, buttery homemade biscuits, have been around just as long, it should be no surprise that Southerners and cowboys alike love drenching them with this caffeinated condiment. Cowboys could prepare a simple gravy by mixing the leftover pan drippings with coffee, making for a fuss-free and hearty recipe to satisfy them as they completed grueling ranch chores. It's a dish that Western cooking guru Kent Rollins has said many cowboys have asked for specifically over the years — even today.

You don't have to live south of the Mason-Dixon Line or on a ranch to appreciate the flavor of red-eye gravy. While it technically only requires two ingredients — hot coffee and grease — there are plenty of modern touches that can build out its flavor. As expected, red-eye gravy is quite salty, so a sprinkle of light brown sugar can balance its flavor and make the bite a bit more palatable. Meanwhile, this red-eye recipe, adapted from Matthew McClure, calls for making a roux with flour and fat, which is mixed with sorghum syrup for sweetness and hot espresso for punch. You can even omit the coffee and opt for cola or tea instead. 

The secret to great red-eye gravy, regardless of how you choose to doctor it up (or keep it simple), is to use strong, hot coffee. If you use cold coffee, you're going to have to work twice as hard to warm it up in the pan. Perhaps this is why red-eye gravy is one of the best uses for leftover brewed coffee.