Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits (start these before the gravy; they take forever)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 scant tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European style (I use normal, salted butter)
• 1 cup whole milk 

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter, or butter knives.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball. Add a tad more milk to get the bits in the bottom if necessary.
2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Sprinkle flour if needed. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Repeat multiple times because it makes the flakes. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel or paper towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Fold again if desired. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
4. Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Gravy

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk (2% or whole)

1-2 T. butter to thicken (eyeball it)

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and break into chunks with a spatula. Cook until the meat is crumbled and browned all the way through. Add the flour and cook until dissolved, about 1 minute. Stir in the milk. Cook, whisking frequently, until the gravy is very thick and bubbly (you can add more milk later if you need to thin, or more butter or flour to thicken). Season generously with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with hot biscuits.