red eye gravy

I never had red-eye gravy made with coffee that I know of, although I do recall having pan-gravy from ham. I think.

But I did learn to make green chile on my own and that is like an elaborate pork gravy, and it wouldn't be too odd for it to contain coffee.

I thought the thing that made it green is jalapeños so I loaded it up with those, and I mean loaded, so that it turned green. It was fierce and abusive and I could not keep off it until the whole pot was gone and I burned a new butt hole. Later I learned Hatch chiles are a lot better, and even better combined.

And that is a pork gravy. And it could have coffee and it could have cocoa for that matter, and tomato paste, whatever works for the batch. But I never did have straight red-eye gravy made mostly with coffee.

Myrecipes.com red eye gravy:

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 thick smoked bacon slices, diced
1/2 cup chopped smoked ham
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup beef broth
3/4 cup brewed coffee
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons cracked pepper

Denied.

Reason: too many ingredients.

I do not know anything about red-eye gravy but I do know that is too many ingredients. I think red-eye gravy is associated with paucity if not poverty and that does not work with a long list that includes butter and bacon and ham. Myrecipes version is thickened with flour as a regular sauce, and has beef broth, milk, and least of all coffee. This is a béchamel, coffee-flavored with other premier ingredients. It will be undeniably good but not authentic.

Amos makes it look like a campout. Uncharacteristically, YouTube comments are 100% supportive. One commenter writes wistfully, "I wish I could have a pan like that."

It is an ordinary cast-iron pan. And it is awesome! Notice Amos does cook liquid in it, as I do in mine all the time. If you will stop the video at the end you have the biggest well-pleased self-satisfied gracious smile.

If you get the pan with the lid, it will double the cost but that is okay the pans are still cheap as can be. The lid is a drag to store. It has pegs underneath so that drippings fall onto your roast. It is one of those rare things where top quality comes inexpensively and readily. I see the same cast-iron pans offered on Amazon as offered at Army Surplus, as offered at King Soopers grocery stores. I bet you can buy them at the dollar stores.

I cannot have open flame outside grill here downtown so I use a square cast-iron pan that is ribbed and I noticed when I fail to use a wire brush thoroughly and carelessly leave remnant bits in the ribs that tend to burn and exchange on the next heating imparting a charred and smoked flavor the next steak. When I do scrub the grill pan thoroughly that effect is ruined and must be started over for full effect.

I never used litmus paper but I didn't think coffee is all that acidic. A sauce usually has fat and an acid, and Amos' simple version reduced as he does seems to have both.