Gravy is a hallmark of a decent meat service, the magic of a pairing between a saucier and a rôtisseur
The thickening agent is key in my book for gravy.
Most people only have flour as a thickener and rarely do they cook the gravy long enough to break the starch or cook the flour out and it has a grainy or pasty texture with an unfinished taste...a big slice of yuck.
This is one of the main reasons to flour your meat before roasting/broiling, if it is that type...a steak of course would be right out lol. The flour gets cooked all the way through and the resulting remains or the fond is what will make the gravy gleam like gold.
I am a fan of using dry gravy mix as a proofing agent, much like adding spinach to a green sauce to proof the green color, the dry gravy will provide a measure of assistance for a quick or last minute gravy.
Now pan sauces, which is a quick sauce much like a gravy without the thickening binder, is a different matter...these should always be made fresh at the last minute before service.
There are a few surprising tricks for a gravy guru to apply for flavor that most would find odd.
Take a basic beef roast cooked with root veg and mirepoix...once the roast and remaining whole veg (cut larger if you want the veg to remain viable for separate service) is removed the meat juices (water, fat, and collagen), the softened/broken veg, and the darkened bits of fallen meat (this is the fond or found) all of this is the fodder of gravy dreams.
If the meat was dusted in flour to begin with then that remaining fond will be tempered with completely cooked flour, blend this liquid and it will bind together...gravy.
There are many many quick binders out there, it is just that most people do not have them in the kitchen or do not treat them correctly, regarding gravy.
flour...MUST be hydrated and then cooked completely, slow process and can easily burn
corn starch...this is great for a binder but mix the starch on the side in a separate bowl/cup with a little of the pre-gravy juice and mix all the way before adding...if adding directly then IT WILL CLUMP...into little ugly globs of goo...tasteless mushy goo...don't do it...AND it must be brought to a boil for a minute or two to crack the starch and release the hounds
and many more...but one of the easiest to use is blending the cooked veg with the juice and fond...this will bond very nicely without adding any extra cooking...pull, blend, serve
One of my tricks that is an instant fix for a loose or thin sauce is potato buds or instant mashed potatoes...just a tablespoon or two will quickly thicken, provide a nice mouth feel, and only needs a minute or two in a hot liquid to hydrate...hydrate only in the sauce, adding precooked mashed potatoes to a sauce will thicken it but requires more time to bind and will change the texture
Flavor tricks...
Beef or pork...ground ginger snaps, a tablespoon or so will add an exotic flavor as well as thicken a sauce
Pork...applesauce...1/2 cup, bit of texture but mostly aroma and a familiar flavor
Pork or poultry...whole berry cranberry sauce, a table spoon or two adds a rich color, bit of thickening, nice punch of fruit flavor, and that touch of tart
Any roasted meat...pumpkin pie filling...from a left over pie or out of the can, a tablespoon or two will thicken the sauce, add a familiar harvest or Thanksgiving hint of flavor, some texture (smoothness), and a pleasing color
Yep...likes me some gravy!
