Redeye Gravy

There’s nothing quite like the salty, savory and pleasantly bitter flavor of classic Southern redeye gravy. It’s a staple accompaniment for biscuits, and a classic partner for ham, eggs and grits. If you’re not from the South, not to worry—you too can learn how to make this Southern diner staple with just two ingredients and a skillet.

What is redeye gravy?

Though they share a name, redeye gravy isn’t made the same way as turkey gravy. It’s not velvety or creamy in texture or thickened with a roux. It’s a light, thin pan sauce made from coffee and the drippings from a browned slice of country ham, simmered until emulsified together. Though most widely called redeye gravy, perhaps because it contains coffee, it’s also known as poor man’s gravy, bird-eye gravy, red ham gravy and cedar gravy.

Ingredients for Redeye Gravy

• Country ham:  A dry-brined variety of cured ham popular throughout the South, country ham is firmer and saltier than wet-brined deli ham, with a flavor almost like prosciutto. It might be a difficult ingredient to come by outside of the South, but it’s available for mail-order online. Starting this redeye gravy recipe by browning a slice of country ham in a skillet supplies the salt, fat and the fond, or cooked-on layer of ham flavor, necessary to make the gravy.
• Coffee: Brewed drip coffee cooks down and concentrates in this recipe, so do use a coffee you enjoy the taste of.

Directions

Step 1: Brown the ham

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In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, cook the ham until it’s lightly browned, three to four minutes on each side. Remove the ham and save it for another use.

Editor’s Tip: If your ham didn’t release very much fat into the pan, add a spoonful of butter or bacon grease.

Step 2: Add the coffee and reduce

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Add the coffee to the pan drippings, stirring to loosen any browned bits from the pan. Simmer until reduced by about half.

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Redeye Gravy Variations

• Add something sweet: Often, redeye gravy is an intense flavor combination of salty, earthy and bitter notes. To round it out, some people like to add brown sugar, honey, molasses, cane syrup or even Coca-Cola or root beer along with the coffee.
• Spice it up: Add a dash of Louisiana-style hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat.
• Break out the condiments: In Alabama, it’s not unusual to add mustard or ketchup to redeye gravy.

How to Store Redeye Gravy

Once it’s cool, store any leftover redeye gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Warm it in the microwave or in a small saucepan to serve it.

Can you make redeye gravy ahead of time?

You can make this redeye gravy recipe ahead of time, but as it sits the fat and liquid will likely separate. Warm them together, whisking, to help bring the sauce back into an emulsion.

Redeye Gravy Tips

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What do you serve redeye gravy with?

Redeye gravy is typically served with the ham it’s cooked with, and often for breakfast, so a fried egg or two would be a welcome sidekick. Think of it almost as a concentrated, flavor-boosting condiment. It’s very typical to dunk the split sides of buttermik biscuits in redeye gravy when making traditional ham biscuits. It’s also excellent stirred into slow-cooker grits or drizzled over cowboy cornbread. 

Can you use other types of ham in this recipe for redeye gravy?

Redeye gravy is best made with country ham, but you can also ask your butcher for a large slice of bone-in ham steak or use a leftover slab of glazed ham. Bone-in is preferable because it will likely have more fat on it, which means it will render more fat as it cooks, more like the traditional country ham.

Can you reduce the amount of salt in the recipe?

All the salt in redeye gravy recipes comes from the ham. If your country ham is particularly salty, you can soak your country ham steak in water for a few minutes before browning it. Make sure to pat it dry before searing it to ensure the best browning.