What coffee-infused gravy is traditionally served with country ham?

The coffee-infused gravy traditionally served with country ham is red-eye gravy.

Red-eye gravy is made by deglazing the pan used to fry country ham with strong black coffee. The coffee loosens the browned bits and combines with the ham drippings to create a thin, intensely savory sauce. Unlike white gravy or sawmill gravy, it normally contains no flour or other thickener.

The name refers to the gravy’s appearance when the coffee and ham grease separate: the dark liquid can show through the fat like the center of a red eye. Folklore also links the name to stories about a cook with bloodshot eyes or coffee’s reputation for keeping someone awake, but the visual explanation is the more direct culinary one.

Red-eye gravy is commonly spooned over country ham, grits, biscuits, or rice. It is sometimes confused with brown gravy because both can be dark, but brown gravy is generally stock- or meat-based and thickened, while red-eye gravy’s defining ingredient is coffee.