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Breaking biscuits and gravy, Part 2

As promised, I am back this week with a chorizo gravy recipe.

I feel a little bad that I made everyone wait a week and worse that I imagine most readers would rather substitute in store-bought biscuits than just forego this great chorizo gravy recipe.

Chorizo gravy ingredients.

Well, I am here to tell you that good things are worth the wait, and this is no exception.

It was a true delight.

I don’t even think all the other additions (cotija, avocado, scallions, and cilantro) are strictly necessary, even though of course I added them and would definitely do them again. That being said, as much as I love cotija, I feel like it does add the least in the addition, just because the gravy is already so fatty and so flavorful that the crumbly Mexican cheese doesn’t add as much as I would have thought. Also, for my personal tastes, I could take or leave the scallions. But when I make it again, it will definitely still have avocados and cilantro, and frankly, probably the others too.

Here is where I do admit that I did semi-cheat by not using my Le Creuset on the gravy. I thought since the biscuits called for an 8-inch skillet (maybe a typo, see last week) that it’d be safer to use the 9-inch for the biscuits and not overwhelm it with gravy that could overtop, so I went with our 10-inch cast iron for the gravy.

Technically, I think 9-inch would still work, particularly as you brown the chorizo and then remove it to make the gravy, and only are supposed to add back in half the chorizo, with the rest on top separately. I went ahead and added all the chorizo back in and it fit comfortably in the 10-inch. Alternatively, when the gravy is done, it could be poured into the sitting chorizo instead and you could keep using a 9-inch without problem.

What I’m saying is this one is pretty adaptable. Cook your gravy how you like, and add what you like, or nothing, to the top, and all is good, man. Just enjoy.

I love it when a masterpiece comes together.

Here’s what I did, finishing out the Bon Appetit recipe without many changes:

Ingredients 

  • 1 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 lb. fresh chorizo, casings removed (or just buy Beeler’s that already is removed from casings, like I did)
  • 3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ c. whole milk (I accidentally did not specify when my sweetie went shopping so we used 2% and it was fine)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Hot sauce, to taste
  • 3 T. butter, if needed (my chorizo was not very fatty, so to make a roux, I needed more fat, you may too)
  • 2 avocados, for serving (optional)
  • 4 scallions, sliced, for serving (optional)
  • ½ c. cilantro, chopped, for serving (optional)
  • ½ c. cotija cheese or queso fresco, for serving (optional)

Directions 

Heat oil in a 9- to 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo, breaking up any large pieces, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl (small if planning to add back in to gravy, larger if planning on adding gravy to bowl).

Add additional butter if needed so that you have a total of about 3 T of fat to mix with the flour to make a roux. Add the flour once the butter has melted, if using, and whisk constantly until the roux is starting to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until incorporated. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook gravy until thickened, another 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir in half the chorizo, or all of it, or add the gravy to the chorizo mixture, as will fit and as desired. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, to taste.

To serve: Spoon some gravy over biscuits (either cornmeal from last week or store bought), and then top with avocados, scallions, cilantro, and cotija, if using any or all, and the rest of the chorizo if you didn’t mix it in. Add more hot sauce if desired, and enjoy the gluttony!

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Breaking biscuits and gravy, Part 1

I had been considering making my usual biscuits and gravy recipe ever since I started the small skillet year, but it seemed like a cop-out as it’s just sausage and a general white gravy with store-bought biscuits.

Thankfully, I found a twist on the traditional recipe that allowed me to make one of my favorites *and* try something new. Bless you, Bon Appetit.

Cornmeal biscuits recipe.

Even if I hadn’t been considering biscuits and gravy all along, this recipe had me from its name that implied to me a south by southwest mash-up.

In place of traditional flour biscuits, a cornmeal-based biscuit that very much resembled cornbread. In place of breakfast sausage, chorizo. In addition to all that, and if it wasn’t filling and unhealthy enough, the addition of cotija and avocado, as well as cilantro and scallions.

Of course, it was a delight.

I’m focusing this week just on the biscuits, as I believe each *could* be made individually, and I felt like throwing too much out at this point could be overwhelming.

Chorizo and/or gravy may not be for everyone, and I feel like it’d be possible to just use store-bought biscuits and use next week’s gravy recipe if one were not inclined to bake biscuits.

So, how did the biscuits turn out?

I was nervous that an 8-inch skillet wouldn’t be enough to separate the biscuit batter, and even using a 9-inch it was a single biscuit instead of distinct ones (however, placing them individually still made it easier to separate once baked). I think it must have been a typo. But a medium-skillet will work; even if you end up with a single biscuit, it’ll be possible to pull them apart.

The taste, though, was amazing. It really was like a cornbread in biscuit form. It’s not that they’re interchangeable, but it was the perfect combination of biscuit consistency with buttermilk cornbread flavors, and it worked really well with the particular gravy recipe. It’d also work as just a biscuit with butter, like I may have done with one leftover biscuit.

I used a little more buttermilk than the recipe called for but otherwise stuck to it, though I might recommend a slightly larger skillet (which may affect cooking time).

The giant singular biscuit still tasted like the perfect cross between biscuits and cornbread. So I don’t care, I love it.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients 

  • 1 c. all-purpose flour
  • ¾ c. cornmeal
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1 ½ t. baking powder
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1 t. salt
  • ¼ t. black pepper, freshly ground if possible (I did not measure but grinded generously)
  • ½ c. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • ¾ to 1 c. buttermilk (I used it all but if your consistency is good and sticky after ¾ c., don’t add more)

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until the pieces are chickpea-sized. Add buttermilk and mix to blend until dough is just combined and sticky.

Drop dough by heaping ¼ cupfuls into a medium cast-iron skillet, spacing if at all possible. Bake, rotating once halfway through, until biscuits are puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy with butter or next week’s gravy recipe!