Last week’s Crumble or Pour post made me study on other important bread matters. You know like whether you should tear your biscuits before dousing them with gravy or split them open.
It took me a good 15 years of marriage to realize The Deer Hunter splits his biscuits while I tear mine in little pieces.
After I realized the biscuit discrepancy in our marriage I was left wondering who taught me to tear my biscuits and who taught The Deer Hunter to be so neat and tidy with his plate of biscuits and gravy.
Tipper
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27 Comments
William J. Boone
January 29, 2021 at 2:00 pmWell, Tipper, I tried your recipe for biscuits last night for supper. I made a double batch which yielded 15 gorgeous, tender and flavorful specimens. I had always made biscuits by cutting butter into the flour, but your method is quicker and produces a tad more tender product. You all talk about gravy on your biscuits, but no one has mentioned chipped beef gravy, which I made last night. This is very common in my neck of the woods. Dried, chipped (very thinly sliced) beef is a Pa Dutch specialty. Small hunks of lean beef are dried in salt and pink salt, to keep the beef a dark red color, and machine sliced almost paper thin. I cut mine in thin strips, fry it in butter, add flour and cook that a minute or two,
then add whole milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until it thickens into gravy. There’s usually enough salt in the beef to season the gravy so I only add a lot of freshly ground black pepper. I’ve tried sausage gravy, but Bob Evans puts mine to shame. I usually eat a small meal mid-morning, coffee suffices first thing out of bed, and today I ate cold biscuits, plain, and a glass of milk. I love cold biscuits almost more than fresh from the oven.
Bill Burnett
January 21, 2019 at 10:47 pmFresh Biscuits I split, left over ones I tear, I love my sausage chopped up before adding flour and browning the flour. Since the kids are grown and gone I can make quick breakfast out of the left over gravy and biscuits we often have for supper the night before and sometimes even make two quick breakfasts if there’s enough gravy and biscuits left over. I just make a fresh pot of perked coffee, nuke a bowl of left over gravy and crumbled biscuits and I’m good till lunch.
Mary Lou McKillip
January 21, 2019 at 10:21 pmTopper I don’t Make much biscuits and gravy Truman don’t like either I slice open my busiscuit and fill the piece full of gravy and cut them with my fork while eating when I make it at home I like the old time way of sopping my biscuit in my gravy
Wanda Devers
February 10, 2020 at 7:37 amThis reminds me so much of my childhood–my older brother & I always sopped!!
Luann
January 21, 2019 at 6:55 pmre: Tear or split—I’ve done both, depending on if I’m using jelly instead of gravy.
Also, I want to give a shout to everyone about your class!
I highly recommend taking it.
As I remember, when I took it, it was the first time it was offered (2012).
I learned so much and getting to meet you was better than gravy on biscuits!
Your addition of field trips sounds great. Won’t get to attend this year,
but will be traveling to a conference in NC the same week. May try to
come by and say hello at least.
I’m still using your cream biscuit recipe and sharing it with others
in my Dutch oven cooking workshops.
Keep up the great work!
Gigi
January 21, 2019 at 3:24 pmWell Tipper, my husband crumbles his and i do most of the time. But i have done both. Dont matter to us as long as we have it there in front of us eating it.
aw griff
January 21, 2019 at 3:09 pmcrumble ever time.
Wanda Devers
January 21, 2019 at 1:39 pmEither way just as long as I can have biscuits and gravy! lately I think I’m more likely to tear them. My husband is also a splitter.
Eldonna Ashley
January 21, 2019 at 1:02 pmFor biscuits and gravy I split. For bread and gravy I tear. Fresh maters and gravy are sliced tomatoes
Ann Applegarth
January 21, 2019 at 11:56 amOh, Tipper, how I wish I could take your class — it sounds absolutely wonderful! I have always split my biscuits. Cornbread, too, when I put butter and syrup on it.
Paula Rhodarmer
January 21, 2019 at 10:53 amTipper, I do both at different times. If I am eating biscuits and gravy I crumble or tear the biscuit into pieces. If I am eating jam, molasses or honey on a biscuit I split it in two pieces. I guess we are all creatures of habit. Any way you eat a biscuit, it is a good thing.
Marcus
January 21, 2019 at 10:31 amI an a spiltter . It ‘s just the way . I love to split and butter and jelly on both side and eat them open and I guess the gravy split came from that, any way its good!!
Pamela Danner
January 21, 2019 at 9:49 amI have done both ways, just depends the mood I’m in. Either way it tastes the same.
Dee
January 21, 2019 at 9:32 amI split my biscuit but I’m not sure I’m so neat with it. I sure did love my mother’s milk gravy poured over it and the southern sausage. Gone but not forgotten. If I lived closer, I would for sure take one of your classes.
doug bishop
January 21, 2019 at 9:26 amAt home I am a splutter . I have no real preference. I have noticed that some restaurants serve split biscuits on a plate with gravy applied while others serve whole biscuits with a bowl of gravy on the side so you may prepare them as you wish.
PinnnacleCreek
January 21, 2019 at 9:18 amI will try to look at this from totally how times have changed over several decades. Many times in my youth (after I learned to like gravy) we would gather around the kitchen bar and crumble bread onto our plate. On top of this we may have an egg and a slice of home grown ham. As time went on and I became older, many of my habits changed without my even noticing. I left my youthful crumbling behind and started splitting those biscuits wide open just like Hardees. I am not certain why I did this, as nothing tasted better than those crumbled gravy covered biscuits from my youth. My grandson will never know that joy, because I taught him to split his biscuits. Granddaughter. being much fancier, dips hers on the rare occasion when she comes back home. I think perhaps I should take a survey at our next family reunion. I bet there will be a great show of hands for the die hard crumblers among the older generation. Huh! Some of the youngest from up north may not even eat gravy 🙂
Ron Stephens
January 21, 2019 at 8:57 amI’m a splitter. Carry over I guess from bologna biscuits, jelly biscuits, pork tenderloin biscuits, sausage biscuit, etc. When I do gravy biscuit I split’em, cover with gravy then break them up with a fork to eat. So I get to tore up in the end.
Jackie
January 21, 2019 at 8:40 amI just finished a plate of split biscuits with tomato and gravy. There’s enough left over for tomorrow morning. I put the gravy in a bowl and in the refrigerator. Tomorrow I will crumble a couple of biscuits in the bowl, mix it up and microwave a couple of minutes. So I guess you could say I have it both ways. It hits the spot either way.
Ed Ammons
January 21, 2019 at 8:37 amI like to tear the biscuit apart myownself in bite size pieces before applying the creamy gravy goodness. I also like to cut up my sausage patties separately to use for dipping and for flood control if the gravy is too thin. Bacon, on the other hand (or in the other hand) I consider finger food and tear or break it digitally which leads to finger licking which is considered bad manners, Excuse Me!
Gayle Larson
January 21, 2019 at 8:03 amI am a splitter. Maybe I will try tearing my next batch.
Miss Cindy
January 21, 2019 at 7:36 amTip, I always split my biscuits to put gravy on then. Guess that’s where the Deer Hunter got it. My reasoning was that the biscuits wouldn’t get so soggy. I have no memory of what my parents did in terms of splitting or crumbling biscuits for gravy but I do remember them crumbling cornbread in a glass to pour milk over for cornbread and milk.
tmc
January 21, 2019 at 7:06 amWell, I’m a splitter, don’t know why just always have been, hmmm maybe some kinda self-control thing, when you order biscuits and gravy at Hardee’s it doesn’t come all crumbled up. wink-wink
Ed Ammons
January 21, 2019 at 8:23 amAre you suggesting that Hardees is the ultimate authority on biscuit butchery?
tmc
January 21, 2019 at 7:20 pmWell, they probably would mind massacring one if you wanted it that way. but yea they are around here.
Sheryl A Paul
January 21, 2019 at 6:47 amI always split mine, but on reflection tearing them would be so much better more sides to jold the gravy
Eldonna Ashley
January 21, 2019 at 1:05 pmGood point. They tore down our Hardee’s and built a Walgreen’s. No more biscuits and gravy, no more cinnamon raisin biscuits.
Tmc
January 22, 2019 at 2:07 pmO NO, hope that doesn’t happen here, we’re out in the county, and Hardees is at a cross roads, a local pharmacy across the road, get a biscuit and meds all in one morning can’t beat that.