# Recipe for dark gravy without drippings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 10, 2021, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564 "2021-02-10T02:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/1 "2021-02-10T02:56:38Z")
Looking for a recipe for dark gravy (beefish flavour) when I don’t have drippings. Not from a pouch. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/2 "2021-02-10T03:02:11Z")
I Googled “dark gravy without drippings” and this one looks fairly simple. It appears that it can be made any desired flavor. Warning: you have to scroll way down before this 5-ingredient recipe shows up. > **[Homemade Gravy Without Drippings - Homemade In The Kitchen](https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/homemade-gravy-without-meat-drippings/)** > > Homemade Gravy Without Drippings is an easy from scratch gravy recipe without drippings. Make ahead Thanksgiving gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/3 "2021-02-10T03:12:54Z")
If you already know how to make a gravy with drippings, you know how to make gravy without. Just use butter instead of the meat fat and do everything else the same way as your favorite recipe. Make sure you use beef broth as your liquid, and remember that the tastier your broth, the tastier your gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/4 "2021-02-10T03:27:37Z")
And if you want to up the umami in the absence of drippings, do something like a mushroom gravy. I’d probably add a little worchestisescscheishire sauce to this one. > **[Chef John's Best Mushroom Gravy](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/219091/chef-johns-mushroom-gravy/)** > > This rich, brown mushroom gravy recipe from Chef John is made with beef stock to serve with meatloaf, but it can be made with any type of stock. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/5 "2021-02-10T04:56:19Z")
I sometimes like to make a little bit of cream gravy for my wiener schnitzel, which doesn’t leave any real pan drippings. Essentially I make thumpty-do (as we call it in the South, just plain white sauce) and tart it up with MSG for umami. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/6 "2021-02-18T05:26:19Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > And if you want to up the umami in the absence of drippings, do something like a mushroom gravy. I’d probably add a little worchestisescscheishire sauce to this one. Right, I used this for a meal of bangers and mash, with corn and fresh tomatoes as the obligatory healthy stuff.\ Gravy was very good, to the point that Mrs Piper, who normally doesn’t like gravy, asked today if there was any left-overs. 😀 Thanks for the recipe! ( **nearwildheaven** , will try yours next time.) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/7 "2021-02-18T05:54:10Z")
I’ve made gravy with lamb OXO cubes (hard to find outside the UK). I sauteed some chopped onion in butter, crumbled the cube and whisked it in, and then added some boiling hot water and stirred until the cube dissolved completely. I used roux for thickening, but corn starch would work too. I also put in some cracked pepper to season the gravy. It was good! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/8 "2021-02-18T20:54:47Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Thanks for the recipe! Awesome! I actually made a very similar version of this sauce for salisbury steak because this thread was on my brain, though I had the drippings from the patties and doctored it up a bit. > [@terentii](#): > > I used roux for thickening, but corn starch would work too. Strong agree on roux rather than corn starch for this kind of gravy. I’m definitely intrigued by lamb bouillon and will look for it specifically the next time I’m at the grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/9 "2021-02-18T21:04:16Z")
Like I say, lamb OXO cubes are hard to find outside the UK. Even in Canada, I had to go to an import shop to get some. (Dunno about Australia and New Zealand, though.) Of course, my gravy was for some reheated lamb leftovers. If you’re cooking with beef, I imagine you can use beef cubes instead. (Much easier to find!) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/10 "2021-02-18T21:14:28Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > If you’re cooking with beef, I imagine you can use beef cubes instead. Sure, but I’m specifically interested in being able to quickly whip up a lamby (lambish?) brown gravy. Lamb is expensive here and I only buy it as a treat. My grocery store has a weirdly well-stocked British section in the international aisle, so I’ll check there first. If not, there’s always Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/11 "2021-02-18T23:02:32Z")
I often use **Miso** if I need additional umami/savory flavour in a gravy or similar and am short on stock. While Lamb OXO cubes are available in NZ, I don’t usually get them, and my goto is a mixture of beef stock and Vegetable OXO cubes. For things like a slow-cooked Lamb Puttanesca, I will also throw in any lamb bones I have in the freezer (either from a bone-in roast or boned-out for butterfly lamb) to strengthen the gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/12 "2021-02-19T02:25:41Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Awesome! I actually made a very similar version of this sauce for salisbury steak because this thread was on my brain, though I had the drippings from the patties and doctored it up a bit. [This one 🙂](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFCiUstuo8I)? I tried it and it came it out pretty damn good. Kind of an updated version of that mushroom gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/13 "2021-02-19T05:03:13Z")
Last time I was in London, I spotted “Gravy Granules for Beef” in TESCO\* and brought them back. Had made little use of them (just put some in a tourtière last March) until this week, when a meat pie made with ground turkey desperately needed some kind of sauce. They’re pretty tasty, as it turns out. I don’t think a similar product is produced in the US, though it looks like import stores bring a couple of brands from the UK. * * * \*Last evening in a foreign country, I always like to visit a big supermarket and fill my rolling bag with stuff we don’t have. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/14 "2021-02-19T05:15:35Z")
Speaking of gravy granules from the UK, Bisto gravies are excellent and readily available in the international aisles of many grocery stores and Amazon. A couple tablespoons of granules in boiling water and it tastes like homemade roux gravy. And, some varieties are vegan, if that floats your [gravy] boat! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-for-dark-gravy-without-drippings/932564/15 "2021-02-19T05:33:26Z")
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