Upland Biscuits and Gravy
Enjoy this quintessential breakfast classic with wild, upland bird sausage
In my opinion, a good breakfast or brunch spot is rated on two very distinct and important factors: the coffee (served black) and the biscuits and gravy. I can endure lackluster coffee, but the moment I bite into a boring plate of biscuits of gravy that was obviously made from a box mix, I scratch that diner off the list (unless the coffee was really good).
Sadly, few breakfast diners stick out in my mind in regard to their biscuits and gravy. There was one place in Sandpoint, Idaho, that my wife and I visited several years ago, but I believe it may have closed. After many years of living between Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington, Minnesota, and Kansas, and finding myself disappointed in most plates of biscuits and gravy, I decided to ultimately take matters into my own hands.
I am very objective when it comes to my cooking, but this recipe is by far one of my favorites. The keys are of course the homemade sausage and, perhaps unexpectedly, the champagne (yes, there will be plenty left over for mimosas). For the pork fat, you will likely need to visit a local butcher. Just tell the butcher you are making your own sausage and need pork fat; if you are asked to specify, “pork back fat” should suffice.
You will need a grinder, which I suggest owning anyway since it opens up so many recipe possibilities. You can either spend $20 on Amazon for a hand-crank model or invest in an electric unit, which may run you upwards of $100. I’ve been using MEAT!’s 500-watt grinder for a lot of small game and upland grinding and have found it works swimmingly.
For the biscuits, I opted to a buy a can of Pillsbury Grands. Baking is not my specialty, and sometimes I do like to cut down on kitchen mess. Of course, you are welcome to pair a family biscuit recipe with this gravy. Let me know if you put this recipe to work with your own biscuit recipe. I’d love to hear how they work together.
Lastly, a note on the mushrooms: they aren’t essential, so if you or someone in your household doesn’t like mushrooms, feel free to leave them out.
