Creamy Country Gravy

Ingredients
2 tablespoons pan drippings, bacon grease or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste

Directions
1.  Combine fat with flour in a hot skillet, continuously stirring, cook on medium for a couple of minutes until a dark roux is formed.
2.  Add milk slowly to skillet, and mix with roux using either a whisk or wooden spoon (be sure and press out any lumps). Turn heat to low and continue stirring until mixture is thickened, a couple more minutes. Add pepper and salt to taste.
3.  If gravy is too thick for your taste, you can thin it by adding either more milk or water a tablespoon at a time. Goes great with mashed potatoes, fried chicken, biscuits, chicken fried steak, grits, vegetables, rice or anything else you can imagine.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Credit: Homesick Texan