Mama Betty's biscuits and gravy are VERY dear to me. I have tried to write out a recipe, but each time I have failed. It seems I could never word it correctly, or my measurements were all messed up. It's one of those that you never really have a recipe for, you just make it. I remember when I was younger, trying to learn how to make biscuits and gravy, Mama Betty would let me do everything by myself. She would stand next to me and give little pointers. "Add a little more grease, you don't want them to be tough", "Your dough is too dry, try adding some more milk", "Don't forget to press them down", "keep stirring the gravy, you don't want it to burn".
Mama Betty passed away 11 and a half years ago, and each year it seems I lose another memory. Her voice, the way she smelled, some of her facial expressions... these are just some of the things that no matter how hard I try, I just can't remember. But when I make biscuits and gravy, I can feel her next to me, and I can hear her voice telling me that my dough is too dry I need to add some milk, or my gravy isn't thick enough I need to keep stirring.Aunt Vicki did an amazing job writing this recipe (as well as others that will be posted later). I honestly couldn't have done this any better. The only difference I remember is using crisco instead of butter or margarine, but it works well with both. Thanks Vicki! <3
Cat Head Biscuits and Sawmill Gravy
First, Let me make this perfectly clear--- recipes are suggestions-I being a “damn Yankee” (those who came and stayed by force or by choice)-learned this the hard way.
It took me about 3 or 4 years to really figure out Betty’s way of making biscuits and gravy, but I now do it quite well, if I say so myself.
For me, I use, and still do, self-rising flour—Betty ALWAYS used plain flour!!! I never could get it right doing it totally her way, so some compromises had to be had! But, I finally did get it right. Now my youngest is trying to figure it out. I guess I’ll have to do what Betty did—a one-on-one class. Anyway her way of making a Good Southern Breakfast—here ya go: Dump about 2 cups of self-rising flour into a bowl (if you wish to use plain flour, YOU figure out how much salt and baking powder you need cause I haven’t a clue). Then I use a scoop (about 1.5 Tablespoons of butter or margarine-SOFT-and mash into the flour with a fork-for those advanced cooks, a pastry blender works better. I stir it up and add enough milk (here- the argument-true southerners use whole milk but I use fat free organic-your choice-I think they all come out the same as I use the fat free organic) to make the dough thick like sloppy peanut butter (may be a TAD moister) Dump some flour out on a CLEAN counter top then dump the biscuit dough on this. Gently roll it over a couple times in the flour and mold a kind of log with the dough. Then pinch off each biscuit and roll into a ball and pat onto a greased baking sheet (the finger marks are ESSENTIAL for that homemade look). Once you are done---IF, and I repeat IF all goes well, you will stick the pan into the oven on about 375 and watch until the tops start to tan lightly!!
Now, while the biscuits are cooking, start your sausage patties in the pan (not bacon-but sausage)-(but I finally figured out how to do this with bacon grease too) brown the sausage patties and remove them from the pan-leave the grease! Add enough flour to the grease to make a thick paste. Brown it up for about a minute (don’t burn-someone will complain). Turn down burner to medium and add milk (again-the stupid argument-you decide) slowly stirring with a wire whisk until the pan is about half full and the white stuff (gravy) is getting thick. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. By now the biscuits should be done (hopefully).
Don’t forget to scramble a dozen eggs with shredded cheddar cheese the “piece da resistance.”
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