Cow Camp Red Eye Gravy

The Texans brought this to Montana on the cattle drives Most of the drovers were not kind They would run down kids, dogs for sport.My father and twin sister would jump behind rocks or into badger holes when they saw them. My father got this recipe from "cookie" on a grub wagon.Old coffee was used. Nothing was thrown away.Red eye kept everyone awake.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• Old Style

• 25  slices thick slab bacon (1 slab)
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 gallon coffee
• 3 -4  dried chilies

• New Style

• 4  pork chops or 4  ham slices or 1  tablespoon  sysco  ham soup base, with 4 cups cold water
• 4 -6  cups strong black coffee
• 1⁄2 cup white flour
• 2  teaspoons black pepper

Directions

1. Old Style:
2. Chop all the bacon and throw into large cast iron dutch oven.
3. Throw in the flour. Mix with the grease and bacon.
4. Add the coffee, stir and cook. Add more coffee if you have.
5. Crush the peppers and add to the gravy.
6. Serve with flat biscuits or griddle cakes.
7. New Style:
8. Cook pork chops or ham slices remove from pan. (Alternate)Add ham base and cold water and stir without the pork.
9. Add coffee to either the meat dripping and grease or the ham base with water.
10. Wisk in the flour and add black pepper. Serve over mashed potatoes, grits, rice,.
11. cornbread or biscuits. A simple no nonsense.
12. recipe for down home folks.
13. Servings given for New Style.