How Can I Get Rid of Fat for Gravy?

Make gravy that's full of flavor but not fat.

Traditionally, gravy for biscuits, potatoes, turkey, and beef or pork roasts is made with the juices released from cooking the meat called drippings. Along with savory juices, the drippings contain fat, which depending on your tastes or dietary restrictions, may not be desirable. The fat can be easily separated and removed from the rest of the juices before the gravy is made. Another option is to make gravy out of stock instead of drippings for fat-free gravy.

Things You'll Need

• Slow cooker or roaster pan
• Strainer or fat separator
• Spoon
• Pot
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Small, airtight container or jar
• Large stock pot or saucepan
• Wire whisk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups fat-free canned chicken or beef broth
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Remove Fat from Gravy

1. Prepare the meat according to the recipe. Cook turkeys, whole fryer chickens and pork or beef roasts in a slow cooker or roasting pan so that juices, fat and flavor from the meat can be reserved and turned into a delicious gravy.

2. Remove meat from the roasting pan or slow cooker and pour the juices into a separate container. Place two or three ice cubes into the container to speed the process of cooling, solidification and separation of the fat in the drippings.

3. Wait about 10-20 minutes for fat to solidify and float to the top of the container. Remove the fat from the liquid with a spoon or pastry spreader. Throw away the fat and reserve the juice. Pour juice through a strainer or fat separator cup.

4. Add two cups of water to the resulting liquid so that you have about four cups of broth. Place the broth in a pot and bring it to a simmer on the stove until about one cup of the broth has been lost to evaporation.

5. Mix one cup milk with 1/4 cup cornstarch in a separate bowl. Slowly add to simmering broth and stir until gravy thickens, about three to five minutes.

Make Fat-Free Gravy

1. Combine water and flour in a small container with an airtight lid. Seal the jar or container and shake it vigorously for one minute or until the water and flour are thoroughly mixed.

2. Pour two cups of fat-free canned chicken or beef broth into a large stock pot or saucepan and heat on the stove over medium-high heat until the liquid begins to boil.

3. Shake the flour-water mixture again and stir half of it into the boiling broth with a wire whisk. Allow the mixture to boil for one minute. Test the consistency and if you want thicker gravy, slowly add more of the flour-water mixture to the pot. Mix it in again with the wire whisk and allow it to boil for an additional minute. When your gravy is at your desired consistency, add 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper to season. Remove pot from heat, pour gravy into serving dish and serve with meal.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are comfortable with a little fat and want thicker, tastier gravy, replace the water with 1/2 cup skim milk, heated to room temperature. If you're preparing a turkey, reserve the turkey drippings and place them in a fat separator (gadget available an many online and local kitchen supply retailers). Skim off the fat and use the fat-free drippings in place of the fat-free canned chicken broth.

References

• Three Fat Chicks: Gravy Recipe
• Recipe Source: Foolproof Fat-Free Gravy
• Taste of Home: Removing Fat from Gravy
• Mayo Clinic: Turkey Gravy