Steak and Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy

Well, I love steak.  It is one of my most favorite foods.  However, because of the fat and cholesterol, we do not eat steak that often.  This week we had steak with Masked Potatoes and I made a Homemade Mushroom Red-eye gravy.  Most people make their gravies with a packet or open a can.  YUCK!  That is disgusting especially when making gravy is SOOOOO easy.  Here's how ya do it.

First you cook the steaks.  We have KC Strip steaks AKA New York Strip.  What it is called depends on the part of the country you live in.  Sam prefers his Medium while I love my steak mooing, alive and kicking.  I like it just between rare and Med. rare.  I love it fleshy, bloody, but warm.  Most people and restaurants screw my steak up.  These are inch and a half thick cut steaks from Sam's Club.  I cooked these in my new Iron Skillet mentioned on an earlier post.  I use Olive Oil and Butter in the skillet.  This raises the smoke point of the oil and adds flavor.  The only seasoning on the steak is Lawry's Garlic Salt and Black Pepper.  After the steak are done and resting on the plates, as shown above, that is when you start the gravy.

I take one medium onion and slice it, medium thick slices.  Then I take some Baby Portobello's and slice them up.  Throw them into the skillet directly after removing the steaks.  Keep the skillet on Medium-High heat.  Stir them around to coat them with the hot juices in the pan. 

You then let them cook.  The bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet will be released and they will bring with them FLAVOR.  When you see the onions starting to really cook, about 2-3 minutes in and you can actually wait 5 minutes, you will want to add in the flour to start a Roux.  I usually eyeball it.  Sprinkle in the flour a Tablespoon at a time.  Using a fork mix that flour in with the skillet mixture.  It will start to absorb the liquids and thicken.  I used 4 Tablespoon, about 1/4th of a cup of flour.  Then let the Roux cook.  You must do this as this will cook out the "Flour" taste.  Like this:

You can see in the picture right above, it is still sort of liquidy, but you can see how the flour has soaked it up.  If you add to much flour, it will get doughy.  Fret not.  Add a tablespoon of butter and swirl it around.  That will loosen it up.  Once you see if bubbling, like above, you can stop adding butter.  Just do this One Tablespoon at a time and give it time to incorporate.  You will notice the color of the Roux starts to darken.  This means the flour taste should be gone and Flavor is building.  You then want to add cold water.  Add 1 cup of cold water and stir it in.  Like so:

You can use the fork you used to incorporate the flour or whatever tool you were using.  Why wash more utensils if you don't have to right?  This will start to bubbly, and if this is too pasty, add some more water, but only do it in 1/2 cup increments.  Please, before adding more water make sure you have let it come back to the boil and you have stirred it thoroughly.  At this time you want to taste the gravy.  If it doesn't already have enough flavor, you can then add 1 bouillon cube or a teaspoon of Beef Base.  This is needed sometimes, but not always.  Adding at the beginning could lead to an overly salty gravy that nobody will like.  I personally like Beef Base better.  A Good Gravy will coat the utensil you are using when you pull it out of the liquid.  Once you get the consistency you want, let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Like So:

After than just turn off your heat and serve.  Here is what it should look like.

OMG, Steaky and Gravy Goodness!!

If you try making gravy and are successful, let me know if this helped!