dish gravy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low-MidInformal, Domestic/Culinary
Quick answer
What does “dish gravy” mean?
The juices and drippings from cooked meat, especially when served as a sauce or accompaniment to the main dish.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The juices and drippings from cooked meat, especially when served as a sauce or accompaniment to the main dish.
The cooking liquid or natural sauce of a dish, often created by simmering meat or vegetables. It may refer to both the meat drippings themselves and to a prepared sauce made from them by thickening with flour or cornstarch.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In American English, 'gravy' is a more general term that can refer to the sauce made from meat drippings, but also to thick, milk-based gravies (e.g., sawmill gravy). The phrase 'dish gravy' is less common and tends to refer specifically to the sauce related to a given roast or joint. In British English, 'gravy' almost exclusively means the sauce made from meat juices (or a vegetable-based equivalent), often using granules or stock cubes. 'Dish gravy' is rare in formal contexts but understood as a descriptive term.
Connotations
Evokes home cooking, Sunday roasts, and traditional meals. In the US, may also connote Southern or country-style cooking.
Frequency
Low. More common in domestic/serving contexts (e.g., "Would you like some of the dish gravy with your pork?") than in formal recipes or restaurants. The simple term 'gravy' is overwhelmingly preferred.
Grammar
How to Use “dish gravy” in a Sentence
The dish gravy (is) made from [NOUN PHRASE]Serve [NOUN PHRASE] with [its/the] dish gravyAdd the dish gravy to [NOUN PHRASE]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dish gravy” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- I'll gravy the dish. (Highly informal/non-standard)
- She dished up the gravy. (Note: 'dish' is the verb, not 'dish gravy')
American English
- He gravied the potatoes. (Informal)
- Let's dish out the gravy. (Note: 'dish' is the verb, not 'dish gravy')
adjective
British English
- The dish-gravy consistency was perfect. (Hyphenated, rare)
- A rich, dish-gravy flavour.
American English
- A dish-gravy kind of Sunday. (Hyphenated, rare)
- That's a real dish-gravy meal.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare. Possibly in the foodservice or catering industry when specifying menu items.
Academic
Not used except in historical or cultural studies of food.
Everyday
Primary context. Used in home cooking and informal dining situations.
Technical
Rare in professional culinary texts, which prefer specific terms like 'jus', 'fond-based sauce', or 'pan gravy'.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dish gravy”
- Using 'dish gravy' in formal writing instead of 'gravy' or 'pan gravy'.
- Confusing 'dish gravy' with generic 'sauce' or 'gravy' from a packet.
- Treating it as a countable noun (e.g., 'two dish gravies') is unnatural.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In most everyday contexts, yes. 'Dish gravy' is simply a more specific way of saying 'the gravy from this particular dish', emphasizing its origin. In common usage, 'gravy' suffices.
Traditionally, it implies meat drippings. However, with modern cooking, one could refer to the reduced cooking liquids from roasted vegetables or mushrooms as 'dish gravy' in an informal, descriptive way.
No. It is a domestic, informal compound. Professional kitchens use terms like 'jus', 'pan sauce', 'reduction', or simply 'gravy' with modifiers (e.g., 'roast gravy').
After roasting meat, remove it from the pan. Add a little liquid (water, wine, or stock) to the hot pan to dissolve the browned bits (deglaze). Thicken optionally with a flour slurry or cornstarch, season, and strain.
The juices and drippings from cooked meat, especially when served as a sauce or accompaniment to the main dish.
Dish gravy: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdɪʃ ˌɡreɪ.vi/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdɪʃ ˌɡreɪ.vi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “This is just gravy on top. (Note: This idiom uses 'gravy' alone to mean an unexpected bonus, not 'dish gravy')”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a specific DISH on your table, and the GRAVY that belongs only to that dish, made from its own juices.
Conceptual Metaphor
GRAVY IS THE ESSENCE (the concentrated flavour and richness) of the dish.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'dish gravy' MOST likely to be used?