2 ½ cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into cubes
¼ cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1pound pork breakfast sausage, casings removed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 ½ cups whole milk
Freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.
Add the shortening and butter, and use a fork to cut and press the fat into the flour mixture, just until crumbly.
Make a well in the center of the mixture, and add the buttermilk. Stir just until the mixture is blended and starts to form a tacky dough. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, fold it over itself once or twice, and then, using a floured rolling pin, roll it out to be about 1 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or a glass coated in flour to cut out biscuits from the dough, and place them up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Lightly brush each biscuit with melted butter before baking for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the biscuits bake, place the pork sausage in a heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium heat. Crumble and stir until evenly browned.
Add the flour, two tablespoons at a time, stirring regularly, and waiting for the flour to disappear completely before making the next addition.
Once all the flour is incorporated, add the milk in a steady stream, stirring constantly, and then allow the mixture to simmer and thicken for about 10-12 minutes. Taste for seasoning with the pepper, nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce before serving over the biscuits.
