In article >,
"hob" > wrote:

> "Terry" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I don't cook very much. I was trying this because most of the things
> > I cook start with browning a pound of ground beef. I found this
> > recipe and gave it a try.
> >
> > I drained the grease. When I tried to stir in the flour nothing was
> > absorbed. I added the milk and mixed it up pretty well then.
> >
> > If you were making this would you drain the grease?
>
> Since I make a roux to make gravy, I would remove the meat and leave a
> couple tablespoons of grease to mix in with the flour.
>
> (then I add the milk to hot flour-grease a bit at a time, slowly so as not
> to chill the paste which gives lumps.

I have made bechamel-type sauces for many years. I have always dumped
all the milk (or other liquid), in at once. If I use milk, it is at
refrigerator temperature. I *never* get lumpy sauces.

The way to get lumpy sauces is to make sure the flour is not completely
integrated with the fat before adding the liquid, or by failing to stir
after adding it, while it is heating.

Isaac