Name: Southern-style biscuits with sawmill gravy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 13
Ingredients: 60 gm lard or butter; 4 pork sausages (about 480gm), removed from casing and coarsely crumbled; 30 gm plain flour; 700 ml milk; Melted butter, for brushing; Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and hot sauce, to serve; Lard; 500 gm pork back-fat, diced (see note); Buttermilk biscuits; 320 gm self-raising flour; 50 gm lard; 240 ml buttermilk; Melted butter, for brushing

Southern-style biscuits with sawmill gravy

Southern-style biscuits with sawmill gravy recipe - To make lard, combine fat and 80ml water in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir occasionally, adding extra water to pan if fat starts to brown (be careful, hot fat may spit) until fat renders

Serves 13

Prep

20M

Cook

1H 40M

Total

Scone-like buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage gravy is a breakfast favourite in the American South. Traditionally the gravy, similar to a white sauce, is made with breakfast sausage – always pork and formed into patties – while the biscuits are often shortened with lard. It’s rich and tasty dish, and would be great with a fried egg or Southern-style fried chicken. We’ve included a recipe for lard – you really can’t beat freshly made – but butter works perfectly in the biscuits and gravy.

Ingredients

60 gm lard or butter

4 pork sausages (about 480gm), removed from casing and coarsely crumbled

30 gm plain flour

700 ml milk

Melted butter, for brushing

Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and hot sauce, to serve

Lard

500 gm pork back-fat, diced (see note)

Buttermilk biscuits

320 gm self-raising flour

50 gm lard

240 ml buttermilk

Melted butter, for brushing

Method

Main

1.To make lard, combine fat and 80ml water in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir occasionally, adding extra water to pan if fat starts to brown (be careful, hot fat may spit) until fat renders (1-1½ hours). Strain through a metal sieve and discard crackled fat. Cool and store in a sterilised jar. You should have about 300ml. Lard will keep refrigerated for up to a month.

2.For buttermilk biscuits, preheat oven to 200C, and combine flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in 50gm cooled lard with your fingertips, then make a well in the centre and stir in buttermilk until almost combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead to bring dough together; don’t overwork or the air will be knocked out and they’ll be tough. Roll out to 1cm thick, then cut out rounds with a 4.5cm-5cm cutter and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush tops with melted butter and bake until golden (10-12 minutes). Keep warm.

3.Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp lard in a large frying pan over high heat, add sausage and fry until browned and crisp on the edges (5-6 minutes). The sausage might stick a bit, which is fine for flavour – just don’t let it burn. Set sausage aside and add remaining lard or butter to the pan. When it starts to sizzle add flour and stir until it turns sand-coloured (2-3 minutes). Gradually add milk, stirring well between additions, and continue stirring until smooth (5 minutes). Season to taste, scatter with parsley and serve warm with biscuits.