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Today I’m sharing my recipe for Swedish-style Meatloaf Gravy with Beer. I originally developed this recipe to serve with my homemade Swedish-style meatloaf. I loved the flavor so much that I wanted to share it separately.
The meatloaf’s flavorful pan drippings combined with my husband’s Festbier come together to create a creamy, savory gravy inspired by Swedish meatball sauce, with a subtle malty flavor from the beer.
This homemade gravy is delicious ladled over my Swedish-style Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
Why Use Meatloaf Drippings?
My Swedish-style meatloaf is seasoned with many of the same spices traditionally used in Swedish meatballs. The rendered fat and juices add richness and depth to the gravy, while the meatloaf’s seasonings carry through to the finished sauce. The drippings were so flavorful that I only needed a tiny pinch of nutmeg in the gravy recipe.
Why Add Beer to Gravy?
The Festbier contributes subtle maltiness and depth without overwhelming the beef flavor. I used my husband’s homebrewed Festbier in this recipe. Some commercial alternatives include:
- Weihenstephaner Festbier
- Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest
- Sam Adams Octoberfest.
I chose a Festbier over a heavily hopped IPA because Festbier has a balanced, malty flavor with subtle bready notes. IPAs tend to have more pronounced hop bitterness, which could overpower the savory flavors of the meatloaf drippings.
Tips for Making Meatloaf Gravy
- Separate the rendered fat from the meatloaf drippings: Pour the meatloaf drippings into a heat-safe container and allow the fat to separate from the juices. Skim the fat from the top and reserve it for the roux. If you use lean meat in your meatloaf, you may not have enough fat for the roux. Simply add enough unsalted butter to bring the total to 4 tablespoons of fat.
- Combine the meatloaf juices and broth: Add enough beef broth to the reserved meatloaf juices to equal 1½ cups of liquid.
- Gradually whisk in the liquids: Slowly adding the beer and broth mixture to the roux while whisking continuously helps prevent lumps from forming.
- Taste before adding additional salt: the drippings already contain salt and spices so you may not need to add any additional salt.
- Add the cream and seasonings at the end: Reduce the heat to low before stirring in the heavy cream to help maintain a smooth, velvety texture and reduce the risk of curdling. Taste the finished gravy before adjusting the seasonings and add salt to your preference.
What To Serve with Meatloaf Gravy
This gravy pairs well with my Swedish-style Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or meatballs. It would also taste great ladled over a baked potato stuffed with seasoned ground beef, cheese and green onions.
Swedish-style Meatloaf Gravy
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- Pan drippings from meatloaf
- 4 tbsp Reserved meatloaf fat supplemented with unsalted butter if needed.
- 4 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 3/4 C Festbier
- Reserved defatted meatloaf juices + enough beef broth to equal 1½ cups
- 1/3 C Heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp teaspoon Dijon mustard to taste. can use up to 1 tsp
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fine sea salt as needed
Instructions
- Separate the meatloaf drippings. After removing the meatloaf from the pan, carefully pour the drippings into a heatproof measuring cup or glass jar. Let the drippings sit for several minutes so the fat rises to the top.
- Measure the fat and drippings. Skim off 4 tablespoons of fat from the drippings. If you don’t have a full 4 tablespoons, add enough unsalted butter to equal 4 tablespoons total. Reserve the remaining meatloaf juices separately. Measure the drippings and add enough beef broth to equal 1½ cups total.
- Make the roux. Add the reserved meatloaf fat and/or butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking frequently, for 1–2 minutes, until the roux is lightly golden and no longer smells like raw flour.
- Add the beer. Slowly pour the Festbier into the roux while whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken quickly at first. Continue whisking until smooth.
- Add the meatloaf juices and broth. Gradually whisk in the 1½ cups of reserved meatloaf juices and beef broth. Continue whisking until the gravy is smooth.
- Simmer the gravy. Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has thickened and the beer flavor has mellowed. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still be easily pourable.
- Add the cream and seasonings. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg. Taste and add additional Dijon if desired. Season with black pepper and salt as needed. For an extra-smooth gravy, blend briefly with an immersion blender, keeping the blender head fully submerged to avoid splattering.
- Serve. Serve generously over sliced meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
