“Red-Eye Gravy” Is Famous in the South for a Reason

There’s no better place for breakfast than the South. Those home cooks have the feather-light touch required for biscuits, and know exactly how to turn stone-ground cornmeal into rich and creamy grits. And then there’s red-eye gravy, a Southern classic made from just two ingredients — coffee and country ham — that you definitely have to try.

There may be no thriftier recipe than red-eye gravy. In an effort to utilize every morsel of cured country ham drippings and spent coffee, the two are combined into a savory, salty, and slightly bitter sauce that’s perfect for spooning over creamy grits or served with slices of warmed country ham and fluffy Southern biscuits.

Red-eye gravy is likely named more for the gravy’s appearance when spooned over a salty slice of red country ham than its eye-opening ingredient. Sometimes this simple sauce is referred to as bird-eye gravy, red ham gravy, or poor man’s gravy, but they’re all the same combination of country ham drippings and brewed coffee.