THE REAL RAILWAY GRAVY RECIPE

Recipe posted, tested and photo: Deon Bradley Trollip
“From a real railway chef Paul Eybers, ‘mag jou naam altyd sinoniem bly met die oorspronklike resep’.”

the drippings from a roast beef, chicken, turkey, guinea hen, pork loin or other cut of meat, in your roasting pan
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2½ cups home made stock, warmed (see recipe below)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Stock pot:
3 kg beef soup bones
1 large onion
3 large carrots
½ cup water
2 stalks celery
1 large chopped tomato
½ cup chopped parsnip
1 medium potato
8 whole black peppercorns
1 cup chopped fresh parsley (including stems)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cloves of garlic
12 cups water
After roasting the meat, transfer it to a warmed platter or plate and set aside to rest.
Skim the excess fat from the surface of the liquid that collected in the roasting pan, leaving about two tablespoons juices mingled with a little fat.
Place the roasting pan over 1 or 2 burners on medium heat.
Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the caramelized pan juices, then sprinkle the flour over the top, stirring constantly to blend it well with the fat and juices.
Cook, still stirring constantly, until the flour becomes a light golden colour, about two minutes.
Still stirring, slowly add the warm stock, from the stock pot, to the roasting pan.
Bring to a boil and cook still stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
Reduce the mixture by about a third until it has a gravy like consistency.
Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
If desired, strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
Serve immediately.
Stock pot:
Preheat the oven to 230 °C.
Trim root end off the onion.
Slice or quarter the onion, peel and all.
Scrub the carrots and chop it into chunks.
In a large shallow roasting pan, place the soup bones, onion, and carrots.
Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the bones are well browned, turning occasionally.
Drain off the fat.
Place the browned bones, onion, and carrots in a large soup pot.
Pour ½ cup of water into the roasting pan and rinse.
Pour this liquid into a soup pot.
Scrub the potato and chop it into chunks, peel and all.
Chop the celery stalks into thirds.
Add celery, tomato, parsnip, potato, peppercorns, parsley, bay leaf, salt, thyme, and garlic to the pot.
Pour in the 12 cups of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat.
Cover and simmer for five hours.
Strain the stock.
Discard the meat, vegetables, and seasoning.
Note: We browned the flour in the oven for a darker sauce.