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red eye tomato gravy recipe

Red Eye Tomato Gravy with Hot Water Corn Pones

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Ingredients
  

  • For the Gravy:
  • - Sliced hog jowl or thick-cut bacon
  • - 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • - 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • - 1 cup cold coffee
  • - 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes diced or sliced
  • - A few slices of fresh garlic
  • - 1/4 stick real butter
  • - Seasoning blend like Nature’s Seasoning
  • - Salt and black pepper to taste
  • For the Corn Pones:
  • - Martha White cornmeal mix
  • - Boiling water
  • - 1 tablespoon softened Crisco or bacon grease or butter
  • - Pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Fry the hog jowl in a large skillet until browned and crisp. Leave the drippings in the pan.
  • Sauté the chopped onion in the drippings until soft. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Stir in flour and cook until golden. Slowly add cold coffee, stirring to make a gravy.
  • Add tomatoes, sliced garlic, butter, and seasoning. Stir well.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened and flavorful. Add extra tomatoes to thin if needed.
  • For the corn pones:
  • In a bowl, combine cornmeal and salt. Add Crisco or fat and mix.
  • Slowly pour in boiling water while stirring until thick batter forms.
  • Drop into hot greased skillet. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Notes

- Cold coffee adds depth—don’t skip it.
- Corn pones are rustic and should be crispy, not fluffy.
- Add more tomatoes if gravy gets too thick, but never water.