Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
with Fried Egg on Top

Biscuits and gravy – The all American country breakfast! Crispy biscuits, split to expose their flaky interiors, and then smothered in creamy gravy full of tasty sausage bits. What could be better?

Unfortunately for those on low-so diets, it’s usually a sodium disaster. From the sausage, to the gravy, to the biscuits – there’s no way of getting around it –  a biscuits and gravy breakfast can be prohibitively high in sodium.

But not if you make it yourself. In fact, it’s rather to easy to produce a low sodium version. It just takes a little more time and planning.

First, the sausage.  Everything depends on having flavorful sausage. Start with unseasoned ground pork, turkey, or chicken. But be sure to avoid brined or enhanced meat. Most grocery stores now carry plain, unseasoned ground pork. It’s usually very lean, so you’ll need to add some oil when you brown it. I’m lucky enough to have access to a butcher shop that sells old-fashioned ground pork in one pound packages. Also, my favorite supermarket will grind pork shoulder for me. That’s especially nice when there’s a sale. The downside is that I have to package it up in 1 pound portions myself.

Making Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Lately I’ve been using salt-free Spicely Organic Breakfast Sausage Seasoning. It’s a great product but not available everywhere. Before Spicely, I seasoned ground pork myself. I cobbled together about 2-3 breakfast sausage recipes to create a mixture I’m happy with.

Spicely Salt-Free Breakfast Sausage Seasoning

For the gravy, I use NSA chicken broth for most of the liquid and about ¼ cup cream to finish it off. I like the taste and texture better than using all milk. Another option is using half broth and half milk. I also like to add some finely chopped onion while the sausage is browning. I think it contributes a nice flavor. I leave the sausage chunks fairly large, but that’s just a personal preference. Most of the time, the sausage crumbles in cream gravy are quite small.

Finally, for the biscuits, I use Ann’s recipe from her blog Thibeault’s Table. I like her recipe because it uses milk rather than buttermilk, so I don’t have to worry about dealing with baking soda. I know I could use Ener-G sodium-free baking soda, but I’ve had inconsistent results with it. Not so with Featherweight sodium-free baking powder. It works perfectly for me and no doubling is required. I also use whole wheat pastry flour for half of the flour called for.

When I made biscuits and sausage gravy a few days ago, I shaped the biscuits like scones. I patted the dough into a 6 inch circle and then cut into 8 wedges. It was super easy and a whole lot easier than cutting out rounds of dough.

Put it all together – sausage, gravy, and biscuits – and you’ve got a great tasting breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And low sodium, to boot!

Frying Up Homemade Sausage Crumbles

Breakfast Sausage

(Printable Recipe)

• 1 lb ground pork, turkey, or chicken
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp dried sage, crushed
• ¼ dried tsp dried thyme, crushed
• ¼ tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• ⅛  - ¼ tsp coriander
• ⅛  - ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 - 2 tsp brown sugar
• ⅛  - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional or to taste)
• ⅛  - ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional or to taste)

Thoroughly combine seasonings with ground meat. (I wear vinyl gloves and mix by hand.) Refrigerate meat mixture at least ½ hour to give flavors an opportunity to meld. (Longer is even better.)

Brown meat in a skillet, breaking up chunks to desired size. (Add 1-2 tablespoons oil to skillet if using lean meat.)

Sausage Gravy

Serves 6-8

(Printable Recipe)

1 lb homemade low sodium breakfast sausage

½ onion, finely chopped (optional)

4 tbsp flour

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp dried thyme, crushed

⅛ tsp dried sage, crushed

2 - 2½ cups milk (or use part water, NSA chicken broth, or part cream)

In a 12-inch skillet, break up and brown sausage and onion, if using, over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked. Drain fat, if desired.

Sprinkle flour over sausage mixture. Stirring constantly, add pepper, thyme, and sage. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk constantly and slowly add the liquid(s).

Keep whisking while mixture comes to a full boil. Turn heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes to meld flavors and until thickened. Add additional water or broth until you reach desired consistency. Stir and ladle over warm biscuits.

Biscuits Cut into Scone Shapes

Biscuits

Adapted from Thibeault’s Table

(Ann's blog post includes helpful pictures of how she forms biscuits for baking.)

(Printable Recipe)

2 cups of flour (I use half AP and half WW pastry)

1 Tablespoon of low sodium baking powder (I use Hain Featherweight)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup of milk or buttermilk

Note: If using buttermilk, add 1/2 teaspoon low sodium baking soda

Optional: Add a little sugar if you prefer slightly sweet rather than savory

Mix the flour with the baking powder. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal. (An easy way to cut the butter into the flour is to use a box grater. The large side of the grater makes the perfect size pieces of butter.) Stir milk into flour mixture. Mix quickly with fork just until dough starts to come together. Tip out onto lightly floured surface. (will look shaggy)   Using hands, gently pat mixture to flatten. Fold dough like an envelope. Turn and fold again.  Do this at least three to four times.  The dough is now ready to pat out. This whole step should only take 30 to 45 seconds.   Do not over-handle.  (Folding forms layers which makes for a very flaky biscuit).

Pat out to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut with biscuit cutters and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Using your thumb push a little dent into the middle of the biscuit. This helps the biscuit rise straight and prevents it from tipping over as it rises. Brush biscuits with a little milk or cream and bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes at 450°F. For extra flavor and to keep the tops soft, dip the biscuits, top side down into melted butter after baking.

Note: Consider adding your favorite dried or fresh herbs or spices to the biscuit dough. Parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, and freshly ground black pepper all contribute extra flavor.

Tourtiere: French-Canadian Pork Pie

Tourtiere - hot from the oven!

For years I drooled over pictures Ann of Thibeault’s Table posted of her annual Christmas Eve tourtiere. It’s a meat pie that originated in Quebec and is usually made with finely diced/ground pork and potatoes. It’s frequently part of Christmas/New Year's Eve celebrations and is a traditional French-Canadian dish served throughout Canada and some bordering areas of the United States. The ground meat/potato filling is commonly seasoned with sweet spices like allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and sometimes even cinnamon. It’s often served with ketchup, chutney, or gravy.

It took me a few years to work up the courage try my hand at it, but eventually I decided to make it myself. And, boy, am I glad I did. The flavorful filling easily adapts itself to low sodium. The tourtiere is delicious and makes wonderful leftovers that can be reheated or frozen. I usually serve it with some sort of cranberry sauce ‒ homemade whole berry sauce, Trader Joe’s cranberry-orange relish, or homemade Cranberry Jezebel sauce. Thanks, Ann, for a fabulous recipe.

Want a slice?

Here’s Ann’s recipe with my low sodium adaptations:

Tourtiere: Pork Pie

Adapted from Thibeault’s Table

(Printable Recipe)

Ann’s note: This filling is for one pie. I usually triple the ingredients and make three at a time. I bake all of the pies and when cold, freeze.

Favorite low sodium pastry for a two-crust pie (I use a 9 inch pie pan)

1 large onion chopped

2 or 3 tablespoons oil or unsalted butter

1 clove garlic

1½ pounds of pork

1 cup gravy or NSA stock, saved from turkey or pork (I usually use NSA chicken broth/stock)

2 russet potatoes (par-boiled in unsalted water)

2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

½ teaspoon thyme,

½ teaspoon rosemary (or more to taste)

Pepper to taste

⅛ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon allspice (or more to taste)

Egg glaze: 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp water

Saute the onion in oil until transparent; add the garlic and saute for one minute, and then add the ground pork.  Cook until the meat is brown.  Add ½ cup NSA stock or gravy and cover pan and simmer for about 15 or 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425°F.

Uncover pan and reduce liquid to 2 or 3 tablespoons.  Add the seasonings and stir to blend. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Add the coarsely chopped potatoes and add enough additional gravy/NSA broth to moisten. Mixture should not be too wet.

Spoon filling into pastry shell.  Brush egg glaze on overhanging crust. Place upper crust on top and trim. Fold the top edge under the bottom and crimp edge.  Brush with egg glaze and decorate with extra pastry if desired. (I place the unbaked pie on a baking sheet to make it easier to get in and out of the oven.)

Bake in the lower third of oven for 15 minutes and then raise to the middle shelf, lower heat to 350 and continue to bake until golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and place on rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with condiment of choice: gravy, ketchup, chutney, cranberry sauce, etc.

Spanish Rice with Homemade Chorizo

Spanish Rice with NSA Homemade Chorizo

No apologies, no shame – My husband and I both love sausage. I especially love breakfast sausage, and he really likes Italian sausage. And we’ve been enjoying several varieties throughout our low sodium years. Usually I make up my own homemade salt-free spice mix. Seasoning one pound of meat at a time, and no links.

It’s really not a difficult process. I’ve got a great local butcher shop that sells the same ground pork they use for in-house sausage but completely unseasoned. It’s got the perfect grind and just the right amount of fat. So I buy five frozen 1-pound packages at a time. When I want sausage for something, I simply thaw a package and blend in seasonings. Sometimes I’ll make patties, but most of the time, I cook sausage crumbles to be used in soup, pizza, omelettes, burritos, Spanish rice – you name it.

Another favorite sausage is Mexican style chorizo, a spicy chili sausage flavored with tangy vinegar. Always loved the flavor but not too keen on the ingredients. Traditional chorizo includes salivary glands and lymph nodes. Not exactly my favorites. And the salt content is prohibitive. Way back when, I used to buy soy chorizo in order to get the taste I loved but without the offal. But, again, too much salt for use now.

While rummaging through some sausage recipes I had printed years ago, I came across three for chorizo. I combined elements from those and from examples online to come up with a workable recipe. I used it in one of my favorite applications for sausage –– Spanish rice.

In the Pan and Ready to Serve

My husband is in charge of making rice in our rice cooker. He uses brown rice and NSA chicken broth/stock for the liquid. He makes a full pot, so I always have leftover cooked rice, and Spanish rice makes a great one-dish meal. I don’t really care for a strong tomato presence in Spanish rice, so I’ll often just dissolve a bit of tomato powder in some chicken broth to add to the leftover rice while heating it up. Or sometime just a chopped tomato or two, depending on size. For me, Spanish rice always includes chopped onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes (if using), along with minced garlic. All sauteed in olive oil. Add some cumin, a handful or two of frozen corn, some cooked rice, and whatever cooked meat desired.

The homemade chorizo made this last batch of Spanish rice outstanding! Better than plain ground beef, or even taco flavored beef. Better than sliced chicken. There was something about the combination of chili and vinegar that set this Spanish rice apart from any others I had cooked before. And the lack of salt wasn't even noticed. I happily realized I could enjoy chorizo without strange meat parts and also without salt. A true win-win! So here’s to a future filled with chorizo omelettes, scrambles, burritos, Spanish rice, country potatoes, breakfast casseroles, lentil soups, hominy grits, pinto beans, tacos, tostadas, and who knows what else.

Mexican Style Chorizo
(Printable Recipe)

1 lb. Ground meat (pork, turkey, or beef)

1 tbsp. Ground mild chili (ancho or California)

1 tbsp. Paprika (mild, hot, smoked, or combo)

⅛ tsp. Ground cloves

¼ tsp. Ground black pepper

½ tsp. Ground coriander

½ tsp. Crushed Oregano

½ tsp. Ground cumin

2 Cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. Vinegar

Whisk spices together in a small bowl. Add spices and vinegar to ground meat and mix until everything is evenly and thoroughly combined. (I put on vinyl gloves and use my hands to knead the mixture) Cover and refrigerate to blend flavors. At least 30 minutes; up to two hours.

Note: This sausage is better as crumbles and doesn't lend itself to patties due to the extra moisture added by the vinegar.

Making Sausage in my Trusty Plastic Blue Bowl

Bratwurst Burgers

Bratwurst Burger

A while ago I read an online discussion about Johnsonville Bratwurst Grillers, patties of bratwurst sausage. All of the comments were positive, extolling the convenience and taste. I remember thinking at the time, “What an interesting idea.” And, as often happens, I promptly forgot about it.  Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. I was searching online for something – I can’t remember what – and came across a recipe on the Swift Premium Pork website for a homemade version of bratwurst burgers. I realized I had all the ingredients on hand and that it was easily adapted to low sodium. So I figured I’d give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did. The brats burgers were delicious!

Broiling

Making them was easy as can be, and the end result was outstanding. It truly satisfied my husband's sausage craving. I used ground pork purchased from a local butcher shop and broiled them in my toaster oven because it was way too hot outside. I’m sure they’d be even better grilled.

Seasonings

The recipe calls for a bit of cream mixed into the ground pork. That seemed to keep the burgers soft and moist. It also called for 2 teaspoons of sugar, but I think 1 teaspoon would suffice. I followed the recipe except for omitting the salt. Later, after eating our first batch, I looked up some bratwurst recipes online. Some called for the addition of either celery or caraway seeds. That might be an option if you like those flavors. The same with adding some dry mustard. Also, many recipes stipulated mace instead of nutmeg. I plan to try that next time.

Shaping

I put together the brats mixture about 1 hour before cooking the first batch. I shaped all four patties at the same time using a handy gizmo from my local grocery store. The first burgers were very tasty, but the 2nd batch, that had been in the fridge overnight, were great. The spices had melded together perfectly. Served on homemade low sodium buns, with salt free mustard and dill pickles from Healthy Heart Market, and unsalted potato chips or pretzels, the brat burgers were a perfect summer (or winter, fall, or spring) meal.

With NSA Pickle & Potato Chips

Bratwurst Burgers

Adapted from Swift Premium

(Printable Recipe)

1 pound ground pork

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoons ground nutmeg or mace

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground sage

½ teaspoon ground marjoram

½ teaspoon dry mustard (optional)

¼ - ½ teaspoon celery or caraway seeds (optional)

Directions:

Stir together cream, sugar, nutmeg/mace, coriander, onion powder, pepper, ginger, sage, marjoram, seeds and dry mustard (if using). Pour over ground pork in large bowl and mix (I use disposable vinyl gloves for mixing and shaping). Form mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.

Cook patties, uncovered, for about 12 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted near centers reads 160°F, turning patties over halfway through cooking.

Old Fashioned Roast Pork

Old Fashioned Roast Pork

A few weeks ago my daughter mentioned a pork roast recipe from Cook’s Country that she wanted to try. It sounded interesting, so I decided I would try it too. I searched for the recipe online and found it HERE.

The things that made this recipe different are the cut and the technique used. The end result is a delicious roast pork that is nice enough to serve guests. But instead of a loin, it uses the humble and inexpensive pork shoulder or Boston butt. In order to make a sliceable roast, it must be boneless.  I had a bone-in pork shoulder in my freezer. After thawing, I de-boned it. Annoying but not all that difficult. Boneless shoulder roasts are often on sale (especially around Cinco de Mayo), but lower priced bone-in roasts can be found even more frequently.

The boneless shoulder roast is tied into a compact package and then roasted low and slow (7 hours altogether). Shoulder roasts are not lean, so they don’t dry out like the more upscale loin roasts. Most of the time, they’re used for pulled pork or carnitas. The cooked roast is chilled overnight and sliced the next day, once the meat has firmed up. The pan juices are saved for reheating the roast the next day.

Ready to cook - In the Nesco

Things I did differently: First of all, I didn’t salt the roast. I also didn’t roast the pork in the oven. Instead, I used my small Nesco roaster  (It was too hot for the oven). I also didn’t use fennel seeds in the herb crust. (The online recipe I followed didn’t include them.) As mentioned above, I de-boned a roast, so I browned that bone, added some water, and made about 1 ½ cups of pork broth to add to the drippings. And, I used a 3 pound roast rather than the 6 pounds (I used the same amount of herbs, however). As a result, I didn’t cook my roast as long as the recipe stated. Finally, I just winged the gravy. I combined the drippings, the pork broth, about ¾ cup apple juice, and reduced them a bit.

I only reheated what I thought we could eat at one meal. The leftovers made great hot pork sandwiches with gravy. All in all, this is a great technique that produces an outstanding pork roast from a very humble cut. Perfect for a special dinner.

OLD FASHIONED ROAST PORK

From "Cook's Country by America's Test Kitchen," episode 105

(Printable Recipe)

6 lb boneless pork shoulder, fat cap trimmed to 1/8-inch thick (I used a 3 lb roast)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt (I omitted)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaf

1 tablespoon fennel seed, roughly chopped (I omitted)

2 large red onions, cut into 1-inch wedges (I only used 1 onion)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)

1 cup apple cider (I used apple juice)

1/4 cup apple jelly (I omitted)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Tie the roast 3-4 times crosswise, and once lengthwise.

In a bowl, combine garlic, pepper, salt, rosemary, sage and fennel seeds. Rub this mixture well into all surfaces of roast.

Place meat in a roasting pan. Place pan, uncovered, in preheated 300°F oven for about 3 hours.

Add onion to pan around the meat. If there is not much fat in the pan, add the optional oil. Return pan to oven for 3½-4 hours more.

Transfer meat to a dish. Transfer onions to a bowl. Pour drippings into a 2-cup measure. Add water to bring up to 1½ cups. When meat has cooled to room temperature, wrap meat and onions with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight along with drippings.

Remove fat from cold drippings and place in a saucepan with onions, cider, apple jelly and cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer.

Slice cold roast, and layer in baking dish. Pour ½ cup of drippings over pork. Cover dish with foil, and place in a preheated 350°F for 40 minutes until hot. (I reheated just enough for one meal at a time in the microwave.)

Bring drippings up to a boil and reduce for 15 minutes until dark, thick and syrupy.Pour sauce over the meat.(I made my own gravy/sauce.)

Ready for Slicing