Buttermilk Biscuits and Pat LaFrieda’s Sausage Gravy

Make the pork sausage

1. Stir together sage, salt, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, brown sugar, and cloves in a small bowl. Sprinkle seasoning over pork, and toss gently to incorporate. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Make the biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in bowl of a food processor. (Bowl will be very full.) Process until combined, about 10 seconds. Add butter; process until butter is the size of small peas, about 10 seconds. With food processor running, gradually add buttermilk in a steady stream, processing just until dough starts to clump together, about 5 seconds.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly sprinkle flour over top of dough. Roll dough into a 3/4-inch-thick (about 12- x 9-inch) rectangle. Fold dough in half so short ends meet. Repeat rolling and folding process 4 more times. Roll dough out into a 12- x 9-inch (3/4-inch-thick) rectangle, and cut into 12 (3-inch) squares. Transfer dough squares to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch between each. Bake in preheated oven until biscuits are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes.

Make the gravy

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add half of the pork sausage, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage mixture to a medium bowl. Repeat with remaining pork sausage, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Add cipollini onions, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer cipollini onions to bowl with cooked sausage. Reduce heat to medium, and add yellow onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add wine, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add reserved sausage mixture along with any accumulated juices to yellow onions in Dutch oven. Sprinkle mixture with flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add chicken stock, milk, and heavy cream, stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add Parmesan rinds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until gravy is thickened and cipollini onions are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, rosemary, pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Remove and discard Parmesan rinds. Serve gravy over biscuits.