Take a piece of meat. Lightly brown it on all sides. Don’t burn it; scrape any bits that stick, they’ll add flavor to the gravy.
In the same pan, add a few centimeters of water and cover. Lower heat to a simmer. (You’ll hear it cooking, but it’s not trying to splatter its way out of the pan and isn’t likely to have all the liquid steamed away.) Most stoves: Low heat.
Flip the meat a few times during the course of cooking it. If it starts running out of water, add a bit more.
The cook time is dependent on the thickness of the meat, the amount of meat, your personal tastes. If you want it rare, medium-rare, or medium, use a meat thermometer to reach your choice doneness. Remove the meat from the pan and let rest. (If you don’t rest the meat and let it cool, all the juice will drain out when you cut it.)
- About 15-30 minutes before the meat is done, you can add some peeled and halved potatoes to simmer with the meat. You’ll probably have to add a bit more water and flavoring.
If you want a softer meat, keep simmering it until it falls apart when you pick at it with a fork.
- When your meat is close to doneness, microwave some frozen vegetables. Either serve sprinkled with salt or give them a toss through the gravy. (The microwaving with not much water will cook the vegetables while retaining their nutrients.)
Add some cold water to some cornstarch or flour, enough that it becomes a pourable liquid. Stir it into the meat juices and let it simmer a minute, then shut off the heat. You should end up with a thick enough gravy.
- Slice up the resting meat and either plate it or swipe it through the gravy. Spoon some more gravy on top of the meat.
Combos:
1. Meat and potatoes with gravy, with a side of vegetables.
- Meat and vegetables topped with gravy, maybe served with some crusty bread.
- Use the meat, potatoes, vegetables, and gravy in a pot pie.
- Use the leftover gravy to eat on toast, or mashed potatoes, or on egg noodles.
If you make enough, save some meat to slice thin for sandwiches the next day. Might be good on steak rolls with an au jus sauce and French fries.
I might sprinkle the meat with salt and/or I’ll add some bouillon. I have to be careful because my dad has a tendency to feed the dog scraps, otherwise onion, garlic, and black pepper tastes great. Same with celery (dog safe), bell pepper, carrot (dog safe), peas (dog safe), green beans (dog safe), corn (dog safe), tomatoes (dog safe), mushrooms (dog safe), dill (dog safe), basil (dog safe), paprika, turnip (dog safe), cooked beans (dog safe), okra (dog safe), parsnips (dog safe), parsley (dog safe), broccoli (dog safe), zucchini (dog safe), lentils (dog safe), cooked millet (dog safe), cabbage (dog safe), bok choy (dog safe)…
There’s a few things–mostly favored spices–that dogs should not be fed. And you should definitely keep a close watch on the amount of salt. But for the most part, dogs can benefit from a diet containing vegetables, beans, and non-wheat grain (barley, oats, rice).
Sometimes it’s kind of a hassle, as I really like garlic and soy sauce and crushed red pepper, but the dog is just so happy to be eating with his people. And he’s getting older, so the vegetables and added nutrients are really better for him than some of the canned foods out there that are really just doggy junk food.
I would also make food for the cats, but they are very spoiled and demand their specific brands. It’s not worth it to fight them, as every cat owner knows a cat is more stubborn than a dog is in the face of their hunger.
A dog will gratefully eat. A cat will slink away to pout under a bed or in a box.
And if you have excess meat and no animal friend to help you eat it… You can add sliced meat to a freezer safe container or a ziploc bag and cover it with gravy. Let it cool in the fridge before freezing. When you want to eat it, microwave the meat in the gravy and serve on top of mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice.
Just chop up a couple of green onions and stir into the heated gravy. Or add a dab of cream to give the gravy a Swedish meatball-flavor.
