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Legend has it that Red-eye gravy was invented by chance. Apparently, a man named Jesse accidentally dropped his double shot of Cafe Bustelo Cafecito into a piping hot frying pan his niece Daisy was using to cook bone-in country ham in for her two cousins. The strong bitter coffee deglazed the cured pork drippings creating a thin sauce with a blend of salty and savory elements. It’s also entirely possible I’m mixing that story up with the spec script I recently wrote for a reimagined Dukes of Hazzard pilot, a Cuban American family of drug smugglers with an affinity for fine coffees, so don't share that at any fancy dinner parties.
I'm kidding obviously about the origin story, but not the gravy. No one really knows the true story about this saucigenous. It's been around since the beginning of the American South, when someone cleverly decided not to waste their leftover coffee. Despite what I can only describe as an acquired taste, this bitter sauce is a beloved staple on most breakfast menus throughout the Bible Belt, paired with country cured ham, biscuits and grits. The essential ingredient of any red-eye gravy is a proper country cured ham; Smithfield brand is a popular option. Slices of the salty ham are fried in butter, oil or lard to a nice char and removed from the pan. Strong, room temp coffee is added to deglaze the pan. Make sure you get all the stuck pieces of ham (the tasty parts). Add water and cook down. For you recipe buffs, here's a simple recipe from The Spruce Eats to make at home.
When fully simmered, the gravy is equal parts "grease", the shortening used for frying and natural ham fat, and coffee water. The name is derived from the chemical reaction the sauce makes, when the heavier coffee falls to the bottom leaving the grease on top. It's said to look like a glossy eye. Honestly, if you ask me, it looks and tastes a lot like soy sauce. It is proper Southern culinary etiquette to spoon some gravy into your cheesy grits and to sop up the rest with your buttermilk biscuits, which is truly where this mixture shines. The salt is muted by the unctuousness of butter and cheese helping to expose the porky essence. At the Silver Skillet in Atlanta where I first experienced this treat, many tables were full of plates of soaked grits, the ham seemed optional.
Also known as poor man's gravy as a result of the few items needed to make it, this basic breakfast gravy is a must try when in the South. While purists stay true to the core ingredients, some restaurants and home cooks have been known to add brown sugar to sweeten, or even a roux to thicken up. Try them all.
Pro Tip: Drink plenty of water after eating this, while it's tasty, it's salty AF
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