Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Shit on a Shingle

I make smoked pork butts which I then put in the crockpot over night.  This makes a smoky Au Jus which I then used to make a gravy.  This one has Garlic, Onions, Mushrooms, Red Chile Flakes, and a Cornstarch thickener.   I had the Shit on a Shingle concept in my mind when I was building the gravy.  So there is two toasted slices of multi-grain toast, two fried eggs, the Au Jus gravy, and some of the Pork, almost as a garnish, on top.  This is the kinda breakfast you need for doing hard labor.
Making gravy, or a pan sauce is easy when you start with meat drippings, or Au Jus.  For a clear gravy use Cornstarch, or for a more traditional brown gravy use flour.  Watch the salt, usually the meat is seasoned with salt, and the pan drippings will be salty already, and concentrate the saltiness as it reduces, so there is not really a need for extra salt.  But its OK to go crazy with the extra flavorings like Garlic, Onion, Mushrooms, Red Chile...