Like many other Southern favorites, biscuits and gravy were born out of necessity. The dish has been found on tables for decades, and quickly became a staple of Southern diets. The hearty, high calorie dish made a delicious, filling and inexpensive breakfast dish for laborers.
The history of the dish is debated, with some believing that it originated during the Revolutionary War while others trace the dish to Southern Appalachian lumber mills in the 1800s, hence the name sawmill gravy. Its readily available ingredients and hearty nature made it an affordable staple for the low-income working class.
Water and flour only cost pennies, and when combined the could be a sustainable way to feed a family. Originally, biscuits were far from buttery and flaky. They were crispy and brittle, like the texture and consistency of a cracker. Biscuit dough was also shelf stable for several days, making it an easy recipe to prepare. Called “beaten biscuits,” the early dough creation was a job for slaves, as beating and folding the dough could take upwards of an hour per batch.
Flour for biscuit making has always been available, but advancements in flour processing in the 1870s led to higher quality and more abundant flour. This enhancement to production, coupled with the discovery of baking soda and baking powder, resulted in a lighter, fluffy biscuit whose fan base grew beyond the southern states.
The need for hearty, high calorie foods were essential in the early south, thus giving rise to gravy. Throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s pork was viewed as a cheaper, poor man’s meat that was widely available in the American south. Ground pork was pan fried in a skillet, leaving behind the perfect fat content for a roux or thickener. The renderings were a natural meaty, salty flavor for the gravy. When combined with flour and milk, or in lean times- water, it made a gravy to soften the hard biscuits that was cheap, easy and quick to make. When times were especially hard and there were no pork or dairy to be found, “thick gravy” became a table staple. This form of gravy was made by using water to thicken a brown roux of oil and flour.
The type of gravy served on your biscuits in the South depends on the region. Chipped beef gravy, red-eye gravy and tomato gravy are still popular in Appalachia, oyster gravy is found in the coastal areas of Virginia and North Carolina, and corn gravy, okra gravy and chocolate gravy are deep south traditions. Its wide spread appeal have made the dish a staple not only on southern breakfast tables, but diner and fine dining restaurant menus alike.
At 1885 Grill, we pride ourselves on offering elevated southern staples and our biscuits and gravy are no exception. Our buttermilk biscuits are made by hand each weekend morning and topped with thick scratch made sausage gravy. We invite you to join us for brunch on Saturday or Sunday morning to enjoy a little piece of southern history and a big plate of biscuits and gravy.
The dish consists of soft dough biscuits covered in white gravy (sawmill gravy), made from the drippings of cooked pork sausage, flour, milk, and often (but not always) bits of sausage, bacon, ground beef, or other meat. The gravy is often flavored with black pepper.
Water and flour only cost pennies, and when combined the could be a sustainable way to feed a family. Originally, biscuits were far from buttery and flaky. They were crispy and brittle, like the texture and consistency of a cracker. Biscuit dough was also shelf stable for several days, making it an easy recipe to prepare. Called “beaten biscuits,” the early dough creation was a job for slaves, as beating and folding the dough could take upwards of an hour per batch.
Like many other Southern favorites, biscuits and gravy were born out of necessity. The dish has been found on tables for decades, and quickly became a staple of Southern diets. The hearty, high calorie dish made a delicious, filling and inexpensive breakfast dish for laborers.
The type of gravy served on your biscuits in the South depends on the region. Chipped beef gravy, red-eye gravy and tomato gravy are still popular in Appalachia, oyster gravy is found in the coastal areas of Virginia and North Carolina, and corn gravy, okra gravy and chocolate gravy are deep south traditions. Its wide spread appeal have made the dish a staple not only on southern breakfast tables, but diner and fine dining restaurant menus alike.
At 1885 Grill, we pride ourselves on offering elevated southern staples and our biscuits and gravy are no exception. Our buttermilk biscuits are made by hand each weekend morning and topped with thick scratch made sausage gravy. We invite you to join us for brunch on Saturday or Sunday morning to enjoy a little piece of southern history and a big plate of biscuits and gravy.
The need for hearty, high calorie foods were essential in the early south, thus giving rise to gravy. Throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s pork was viewed as a cheaper, poor man’s meat that was widely available in the American south. Ground pork was pan fried in a skillet, leaving behind the perfect fat content for a roux or thickener. The renderings were a natural meaty, salty flavor for the gravy. When combined with flour and milk, or in lean times- water, it made a gravy to soften the hard biscuits that was cheap, easy and quick to make. When times were especially hard and there were no pork or dairy to be found, “thick gravy” became a table staple. This form of gravy was made by using water to thicken a brown roux of oil and flour.
Like lobster in years gone by or the chopped cheese sandwich more recently, biscuits and gravy has seen a rebranding, crossing geographic and cultural boundaries.Advertisement
Yet for some, such as my own grandmother, even sausage and dairy were out of reach at times.
America’s first biscuits were much sturdier than today’s delicate specimens. Called “beaten biscuits,” they got their leavening and smooth texture from being vigorously beaten and folded, according to John Egerton in “Southern Food: At Home, On the Road, In History.” Making beaten biscuits was often the duty of enslaved cooks or domestic servants and could take well over an hour. Once the free labor was no longer technically allowed via the ratification of the 13th Amendment, the process “had come to be viewed as too burdensome,” Egerton writes. A machine invented in 1877 “not only saved beaten biscuits from extinction but actually made them smoother, prettier, and more popular than before.”
Erika Council, esteemed biscuit queen and granddaughter of famous North Carolina restaurateur Mildred “Mama Dip” Council, on the other hand, says the gravy she ate with biscuits was of the sausage variety. (“North Carolina, home of Neese sausage,” she says.) Biscuits and gravy has been served over the years at her family’s revered Chapel Hill restaurant and is one of the best-selling items at her biscuit pop-ups in Atlanta. “The sausage gravy [is] . . . definitely requested often when we cater,” she says.
When it entered the culinary canon, biscuits and gravy was for the poor, working class. “Pork was always the protein of the poor,” Arndt Anderson said in an email. “Sausage releases so much fat when cooked that a roux comes together easily in the drippings.”
British Highschoolers Try Biscuits and Gravy for the First Time!
FAQ
What is biscuits and gravy in the USA?
What is biscuits and gravy called in England?
What is gravy called in America?
Who invented biscuits and gravy in USA?
What is Biscuits n Gravy?
Wanna try? A popular breakfast dish throughout the United States of America, especially in the Southern parts of the country, biscuits ‘n’ gravy consists of tender dough biscuits that are covered in a thick gravy, usually made from the drippings of pork sausages, flour, and milk.
Where did biscuits and gravy come from?
Biscuits and gravy, originating in the Southern United States, can be traced back to the American Revolutionary War, likely introduced by enslaved cooks. The dish, a common food in Southern Appalachia in the late 1800s, comprised biscuits smothered in gravy made from pan drippings, flour ( how long does flour last? ), milk, and sausage.
What is the difference between biscuits and gravy?
This isn’t a dish that you would ever see in England as the term “biscuits” there refers to cookies, while gravy is a savory sauce. Our biscuits are more akin to their scones, which are typically spread with clotted cream and jam. However, you might see the term milk gravy or white gravy there.
What is a deep dive biscuit & gravy?
The Gravy: A Deep Dive Biscuits and gravy, a classic dish, relies on its thick, savory gravy typically made from meat pan drippings, flour, and milk. Variations include the popular sausage gravy, seasoned with black pepper, and the sausage-less sawmill gravy, also known as white or country gravy.