According to SAVEUR contributor Lucretia Bingham, good gravy starts with good meat—but it takes practice, too.

Drippings from roasted meat or poultry
   (such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, or turkey)
   Chicken Stock or Beef Stock (optional)
3 tbsp. flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Use your favorite recipe to roast meat. Skim off 3 tbsp. fat from drippings and put into the roasting pan. Skim off and discard remaining fat from drippings. If the meat or poultry didn't make enough juices, which is likely, add enough premade stock to drippings to measure 2 cups total.

2. Add flour to fat in roasting pan and whisk until well blended. Heat pan over medium-low heat. As it heats up, scrape up any crisp bits, mixing into blended flour and fat. Keep stirring, cooking paste until it has a nutty aroma and is evenly browned.

3. Whisk in drippings and cook, stirring frequently, until gravy thickens, 15–20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.