Mushroom Gravy

Qty	Meas	Descr.
Igredients
2	Tbsp	butter, bacon grease, lard or beef drippings
1		yellow onion, finely chopped
1	clove	garlic ,minced
16	Oz.	fresh mushrooms of choice (I used button mushrooms in the photos) ,cleaned and sliced
1	Tbsp	ground dried porcini mushrooms (if using dried porcini pieces grind them in a coffee/spice grinder or pound with a mallet in a ziplock bag)
4	Tbsp	unsalted butter
4	Tbsp	all-purpose flour
2	cups	strong beef broth
1	tsp	dark balsamic vinegar
1/2	tsp	sea salt plus more to taste
1/2	tsp	sugar
1/4	tsp	dried thyme
1/4	tsp	freshly ground black pepper

Optional: For a creamy gravy, add a few tablespoons of heavy cream at the end

Instructions

Melt the butter (or bacon grease, lard or beef drippings - any of these will yield the most flavor) in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the onions until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the mushrooms and cook 7-8 minutes or until golden and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the ground porcini mushrooms and cook for another minute.
Add the butter and melt. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring continually. This will cook off the flour flavor and brown the flour to create more depth of flavor in the gravy.
Add the beef broth, vinegar, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk continually until the gravy is thickened. Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer the gravy thinner add a little more water (or heavy cream if using).
Note: To make this gluten free simply omit the step of adding the flour and then, at the very end after you've added the broth and seasonings, stir in a cornstarch slurry made with one tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water and simmer for a minute until thickened.

Notes **If using this gravy for German Jägerschnitzel and you prefer a more basic, traditional gravy, omit the balsamic vinegar and thyme.