Tomato Gravy
Take some streak-o-lean bacon, fatback or regular bacon and render all the fat. Takes
about an hour or so. A modern, non-stick pan will not do a good job. Take a (preferably)
cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Slice the meat, place in pan and render on real slow
heat. When all the fat is rendered, remove the meat, trim off the rinds and break up the
meat. Set aside. Take some flour and add to the fat in pan. Add enough flour to make a
good gravy. Keep heat on low to medium. Our stove uses low. Cook the flour and fat
until the gravy base in the color of a cigar and has that certain cooked smell. Add your
tomatoes and, do not add cut up meat to gravy. Not as much grease is needed to begin
with. When the browned flour/grease mix is ready, pour in the tomatoes. You need enough
to make a nice thickness of the gravy, not too thick, but not too thin, either. Canned, diced
tomatoes with juice may be used. Fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped with their juice, of
course, are superb and preferred.
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