Spicy Elk Sausage Gravy over Cheesy Grits
This recipe is full of comfort food flavors all in one bowl. Spicy sausage gravy is poured over braised greens and cheesy grits for a filling and flavorful meal!
Servings: 6
Calories: 733kcal
Equipment
- 12" or larger cast iron pan
Ingredients
Sausage:
- 1 lb ground elk (or deer, pronghorn, moose, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
Sausage Gravy:
- 1 lb elk sausage (see above)
- 3 tablespoon pork lard
- 4 tablespoon butter, divided
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups wild game stock (or beef stock)
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional, for color)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Wilted Kale
- 6 cups fresh Siberian kale, cut into 1 inch ribbons (or Tuscan kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease or lard
- ½ cup broth (wild game, chicken, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Cheesy Grits:
- 1 cup corn grits or polenta
- 3 cups broth (chicken, wild game, etc.)
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 8 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Other Ingredients (optional):
- red pepper flakes, for topping
- 6 tablespoon fennel fronds or chopped parsley, for topping
Instructions
Sausage:
- Combine all spices in a small bowl. Pour spice mixture over meat. Mix together with your hands until spice mixture is well-distributed in the meat. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
Cheesy Grits:
- Bring broth, half and half, salt, and pepper to a low boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Once mixture is boiling, slowly add in grits, whisking the mixture as you pour them in. Reduce heat to a low simmer.
- Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once grits are thickened but still creamy, add in butter and shredded cheese. Stir until melted. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Sausage Gravy:
- While grits are cooking, prepare sausage gravy. Heat cast iron pan over medium-high heat. I use a 12" pan to fit all of the gravy.
- Add lard to pan and heat until melted. Add in sausage. Break up meat until it makes a layer on the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for a while (3-5 minutes) before stirring or flipping it.
- Once the bottom layer of meat has a nice crisp to it, flip the meat and redistribute in the pan. Continue cooking until all meat is browned, about 5 minutes longer.
- Remove cooked sausage to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium-low. If there is grease left in the pan, you can use less butter for the gravy. You need about 4 tablespoon of fat total. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan if needed and cook until melted.
- Add in onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring frequently. Add in remaining 3 tablespoon butter and cook until melted.
- Add in flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook until brown and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add stock, half and half, paprika, salt, and pepper to pan and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened and reduced a bit, about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently. It may not thicken as much as you expect but it will thicken as it cools.
- Add sausage back into gravy and continue cooking until heated through. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Wilted Kale:
- While gravy and grits are cooking, prepare kale.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in bacon grease or lard. Once melted, add in kale.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until wilted, stirring frequently.
- Add in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in vinegar and stir to combine. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Assembly:
- Divide grits among bowls. Top with wilted kale. Pour sausage gravy over kale and grits. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, fennel fronds and/or chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 733kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 995mg | Potassium: 866mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3396IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 440mg | Iron: 4mg
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