re: Pork roast and rice and gravy

There are a few downsides to using cornstarch in a gravy, though I have been known to do it in a pinch. It will start to break down if you are simmering for a while and stirring often. The liquid also needs to be literally just under boiling or the cornstarch will not activate. Corn starch will not stand up well in the fridge, if you have leftovers. The gravy tends to get watery left overnight in the fridge. This happens less in flour based thickening. In my experience, corn starch tends to muddle or dampen flavors a bit as well. That may be a personal thing though.

There is room for both in the culinary world. It all depends on the flavor profile you are going for. The rich nuttiness of toasted flour cannot be achieved with cornstarch. The clear silkiness of a gravy thickened with cornstarch cannot be achieved with flour.

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I've had "gravy" made with cornstarch. It was disgusting.

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Where in Alexandria did you have it?

Fair enough.

There's no reason for a roux in a brown gravy

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you use a fricking cornstarch slurry in your gravy.

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damn.. calm down

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People who don't know how to brown a gravy use roux. It's obvious

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The color comes from the fond, not the roux.

I'm perfectly calm. you're the one calling people idiots. I used the word frick.

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The color comes from the fond,

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Just like it does in jambalaya if you make it right.

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I have another noggin buster for you.

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Fail.

You can do without a thickener. Not a requirement.

This thread is a huge

Stuff the roast
Season the roast
Brown the roast
Put roast in oven

Just curious... do you make a Roux when doing a basic smothered round steak gravy?