Ham is salty. It’s sweet. Sometimes it’s smoky. But let’s be real for a second—it can also be incredibly dry if you don’t treat it right. People spend hours debating the merits of a honey glaze versus a brown sugar rub, yet they completely forget the liquid gold that makes the whole plate come together. Determining what gravy goes with ham isn't just about grabbing a packet from the pantry and hoping for the best. It’s a literal science of balancing salt, fat, and acid.
You’ve probably been to a dinner where someone slapped a generic brown beef gravy over a beautiful spiral-cut ham. It’s tragic. The beefy, heavy notes of a traditional poutine-style gravy absolutely clobber the delicate cure of a good pork roast. You need something that lifts the meat, not something that buries it under a blanket of salt.
Honestly, the "right" answer depends entirely on how that ham was prepared. A salt-cured country ham needs something radically different than a city ham dripping in pineapple juice.
The Southern Standard: Red Eye Gravy
If you’re eating country ham, there is only one correct answer. Red eye gravy is the gritty, unapologetic king of the Southern breakfast table. It’s barely a gravy by modern standards—more of a thin, caffeinated jus. You make it by searing your ham slices in a cast-iron skillet, letting those beautiful brown bits (the fond) stick to the bottom, and then deglazing the pan with black coffee.
That’s it. Just coffee and ham drippings.
The bitterness of the coffee cuts right through the intense saltiness of the cured pork. It’s a chemical reaction on your tongue. James Beard, the dean of American cookery, was a noted fan of this minimalist approach, though some variations in the Deep South add a pinch of sugar or a splash of water to mellow the blow. It’s thin, it’s dark, and it looks like a "red eye" staring back at you from the bottom of the bowl. Don't expect a thick, gloopy consistency here. If it’s thick, you did it wrong.
Why Pineapple and Mustard Gravy Actually Works
Fruit and pork are best friends. It’s a classic pairing for a reason. When you’re looking at what gravy goes with ham for a festive Sunday dinner, a fruit-based sauce usually wins the popular vote.
Think about the glaze. Most glazes use pineapple, apricot, or cherry. A gravy that incorporates these same flavors creates a cohesive bridge between the meat and the side dishes. You take the pan drippings—which are already loaded with sugar from the glaze—and whisk in some pineapple juice and a heavy tablespoon of Dijon mustard. The mustard provides the "bite" that prevents the sauce from tasting like dessert.
👉 See also: Why the Mens Double Breasted Peacoat Never Actually Goes Out of Style
It’s tangy.
A lot of home cooks make the mistake of using too much cornstarch here. You want a silky pour, not a gelatinous blob. If you’re using the drippings from a ham that was baked with cloves, that spice is going to permeate the gravy. Embrace it. It’s that aromatic warmth that makes a ham dinner feel like the holidays.
The White Gravy Exception
Occasionally, you’ll see people serving a thick, peppery milk gravy—similar to what you’d put on biscuits—with ham. This is a bit of a wildcard. While it’s technically a béchamel base, the addition of heavy black pepper and perhaps a splash of the ham’s natural juices makes it work.
It’s comfort food.
This works best with "city hams"—those wet-cured, pre-sliced hams you find in every grocery store. Since these hams are less intensely salty than their country cousins, the creamy, fatty nature of a white gravy adds a richness that the meat often lacks. Just make sure you’re using plenty of cracked black pepper. Without the pepper, it’s just bland white sauce, and nobody wants that on their plate.
The Secret of Cider Gravy
Apple cider is the GOAT of pork pairings. If you’re tired of the usual suspects, try a cider-based gravy. You start with a standard roux (butter and flour), but instead of just using chicken stock, you swap half of it for a high-quality, unfiltered apple cider.
The acidity is key.
Because ham is fatty, your palate gets "fatigued" after a few bites. The malic acid in the apples acts like a reset button for your taste buds. Every bite tastes as vibrant as the first one. Culinary experts like J. Kenji López-Alt often emphasize the importance of acidity in heavy meals, and cider gravy is the easiest way to achieve that balance without overthinking it.
Flavor Profiles at a Glance
- Savory & Earthy: Mushroom gravy using a light chicken stock base. This is the sophisticated choice for a formal dinner.
- Sweet & Tangy: Raisin sauce. Yeah, it sounds like something your grandma made in 1974, but the sweetness of the raisins against the salt of the ham is a total vibe.
- Sharp & Bold: Cumberland sauce. This is a classic British cold sauce made with redcurrant jelly, port, and orange zest. It’s not a "gravy" in the traditional sense, but it serves the exact same purpose.
Common Mistakes When Making Ham Gravy
Most people fail because they treat ham drippings like beef drippings. They aren't the same. Ham drippings are incredibly high in sugar and salt. If you just add a salty bouillon cube to ham drippings, you’ve created a salt lick. It’s inedible.
Always taste your drippings before you add salt.
Actually, you probably won't need to add any salt at all. You might actually need to dilute the drippings with unsalted stock or water. Another big mistake? Not straining the gravy. Ham often releases small bits of fat and protein that can turn gray and unappetizing in a translucent sauce. Run that liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Your guests will think you went to culinary school.
Handling the Salt Content
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: sodium. Ham is a preserved meat. When you're deciding what gravy goes with ham, you have to account for the fact that the meat is already pushing the limits of what the human tongue can handle.
If you make a gravy that is also high in sodium, you're going to be chugging water all night.
To combat this, look for "low sodium" or "no salt added" stocks as your base. You can also use a splash of heavy cream at the very end. The fat in the cream coats the tongue and dulls the perception of saltiness, making the whole meal feel much more balanced and "expensive" than it actually is. It's a cheap trick, but it works every single time.
Next Steps for the Perfect Ham Dinner
Now that you know which direction to take, it’s time to actually execute. Don't wait until the ham is out of the oven to figure this out.
🔗 Read more: Why Brown L’Oréal Hair Colour Still Dominates Your Bathroom Shelf
- Check your glaze ingredients: If you’re using a lot of honey or maple syrup, lean toward a mustard or cider-based gravy to provide necessary contrast.
- Save the liquid: If you’re simmering a ham, save that "pot liquor." It’s flavor gold. If you’re roasting it, make sure there’s a bit of water or stock in the bottom of the pan so the drippings don't burn.
- Deglaze properly: Use a wooden spoon to scrape every single brown bit off the bottom of your pan. That’s where the umami lives.
- Balance the finish: If the gravy tastes "flat," add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. That tiny hit of acid will make the flavors pop.
You've got the meat. You've got the sides. Now you've got the sauce. Stop settling for dry ham and start making the gravy the star of the show.