How to Thicken Sauces?

Low and slow to reduce it.

D/p

An option is that you could make a small roux in the skillet, light or dark depending on what you're going for, before you put them in the skillet and then add the ingredients. If it gets too thick, add water or chicken stock. If too thin, make a slurry of flour and water or whatever liquid and add it until you get the texture you want.

I like using a blonde roux as a thickener, but be careful about how much you use, and reduce your heat before adding the thickening agent or your gravy will get lumpy.

You can also add a tablespoon of cornstarch to a cup of cool tap water, mix well and remove the meat and vegetables from the pot. Once your fire is reduced, gradually add the mixture to your sauce and allow to come to a boil, allowing your gravy to brown and thicken, then re-incorporate the meat and vegetables to your sauce. Stir well and allow to sit about 5 minutes, no heat, before serving.
It'll take some practice and experimentation.. Just make sure you cook the gravy down once you've added the thickener because you want to cook the taste of the thickening agent out of your gravy.. Add a little water, chicken broth or ice cubes, if it gets too thick while your browning the gravy.

Also, try browning the pork first and remove it, then brown the chicken separately. Pork has more fat, and you may want to remove a bit of the grease before you brown the chicken.
Add the veggies to your browned meat, add water and cook low and slow, covered, stirring occassionally.. You can add a cup of nice red wine, a can of Rotel tomatoes, mushrooms, good quality smoked sausage, whatever floats your boat.. Fix a drink and stir gently, til the meat is tender. If when you check the pot and it's frying too hard or starting to stick to the bottom of the pot, add a little water at a time.. When the meat and veggies are cooked and it's the color you want, then you're ready to make your gravy.. And cook a big pot of rice..

Love this stuf...

Not a fan of cornstarch....and in lieu of a separately made roux, you can sprinkle a little flour over the sautéing veg and cook for 3-5 mins until the flour is no longer raw. Add a little flavorful liquid (stock, wine, leftover pan juices, apple juice, tomato juice, whatever is compatible with the existing seasonings), bring to a simmer, and cook until as thick as you'd like.
A flour free alternative is to use an immersion blender to purée a portion of the cooked onions/peppers and stir the pureed veg back into the pan.

Haven't read thread yet. Did anyone mention Arrowroot.

Cornstarch will thicken and then it breaks down some. Arrowroot seems to hold the thickness better.

Not this.

Yep, sorry about that.