The 1969 John Wayne movie entitled True Grit remains to be one in all my father’s favourite films. It appears to be on the tv virtually each week, and he by no means passes a chance to observe it. As impactful as that film was to western followers, I’ve a brand new appreciation for the phrases true grit.
I used to be not too long ago served a bowl of grits that had been as impactful as John Wayne’s film. These grits ought to be given an Academy Award for meals. I used to be at a good friend’s farm for brunch, and the caterer, Mac Burt, supplied to make me a “Grit Bowl.” It was one thing particular — a bowl of essentially the most flavorful and scrumptious grits topped with a wide range of scrumptious add-ons.
I wish to begin by saying that not all grits are created equal. That is one thing that, as Southerners we all know, however you will need to reinforce this truth at first.
Allow us to contemplate our choices for grits and speak about why I’ve at the least three totally different sorts of grits (white and yellow) in my cabinet (wow, I’m a Southerner)
1. Instantaneous Grits: Many individuals use these little envelopes of grits. You add a cup of boiling water and have a piping scorching bowl of grits instantly. Disgrace on all of us as a result of everyone knows we have now had them and even made the envelope for a fast breakfast. These are mainly flavorless, and regardless of how a lot butter or cheese you add, they nonetheless are usually not that good.
Instantaneous grits are to grits, what wine cooler is to wine. Sure, we have now been there and finished that, however now we’re older and wiser. We have to go together with the actual factor. Let’s drink actual wine and let’s eat actual grits.
2. Fast Grits (typically known as five-minute grits): These have been my go-to grits for making cheese grits casserole or for any recipe involving grits. They prepare dinner pretty shortly and may make for weeknight meal.
3. Stone-Floor Grits: That is the variability served by the grasp grit chef, Mac Burt. Asking for his particular recipe, Mac advised me that he actually doesn’t have one. (I assume good cooks not often do.) He soaks the grits in a single day after which cooks them slowly, including extra water as wanted, till they’re finished very similar to cooking risotto. He advised me that relying on the grind of the grits that it may well take two to 4 hours to prepare dinner.
Throughout this prolonged cooking, he is ready to extract each little bit of corn taste out of the grits and create one thing worthy of his efforts. Mac’s grits had been merely excellent. He particularly makes use of grits from the 230-year-old water mill in Kemper County known as Sciple’s Mill. The grits are bought on the Mill and Williams Brothers Common Retailer in Philadelphia.
Whereas I do not need Mac’s particular recipe, I did discover a gradual cooker model for cooking stone-ground grits that works fairly properly. For the actual factor, rent Mac Burt on your subsequent gathering and prepare for meal.
Gradual Cooker Stone Floor Grits
1 ½ cups stoneground grits
6 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoon salt
1-2 cups cream
Frivolously grease a six-quart gradual cooker or crockpot. Stir collectively grits, water and salt and prepare dinner on low for seven to eight hours stirring sometimes. Stir in butter, cream, and extra salt, if wanted. Serve instantly.
These grits may be loved alone or in Mac’s Grit Bowl. On the brunch, he supplied everybody little items of paper to jot down down their toppings. Mac had tons of attainable toppings: bacon, ham, scallions, spinach, veggie sausage, tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, squash, cilantro, and recent eggs that he cooked to perfection and placed on the highest. These bowls had been excellent for brunch, and they’d make an incredible and straightforward thought for a brunch get together.
My thoughts has been racing with all of the enjoyable methods to serve grit bowls. I noticed that you do not want to contemplate grits for breakfast solely. Take into consideration how scrumptious an enormous bowl of grits could be for dinner on a chilly winter evening. Toppings might embody turnip greens, chopped ham, sautéed onions, roasted sausage, mushrooms, sautéed greens, caramelized onions, or different toppings. I believe an area barbecue restaurant gives a grit bowl that’s topped with barbecue pork, barbecue sauce, and fried onion rings.
The underside line is that when the grits are good, something tastes nice on it.
All the following recipes may be made with any number of grits. Chances are you’ll want to regulate the water/broth quantities and cooking time.
Katty’s Grits and Unfastened Beef
That is my favourite consolation meals and go to meal on any chilly moist evening.
The grits:
For each cup of boiling water add a rounded 1/4 cup grits (I usually use fast grits) and a touch of salt. Let the grits come again to a boil then placed on low warmth, cowl with a prime and let prepare dinner very slowly till thickened Add a small pat of butter and a little bit chilly water and stir briskly. Exchange on low warmth with the highest on the pan. Verify in three or 4 minutes. Appropriate the seasonings on your personal style, add extra butter in case you like and beat a little bit. It would good and creamy.
For the “Unfastened Beef’:
The quantity of meat doesn’t matter as that is finished to fit your personal style. Brown beef (I take advantage of floor spherical or sirloin) in skillet being positive to interrupt it up so there won’t be massive lumps. Add water to cowl cooking 15 to twenty minutes maintaining the water degree with the meat. This can render out all of the fats. Drain the meat juice into one other container and set meat apart. If attainable, refrigerate the meat juice till you’ll be able to take off the fats. I often do that a lot the day earlier than I plan to make use of the meat. Return the meat and defatted liquid to a degreased skillet and prepare dinner slowly including beef bouillon paste, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, and recent lemon juice to style.
The completed product ought to have sufficient “au jus” exhibiting via the free beef to make you positive that you may ladle it onto the grits by the spoonful into its personal little indention you made within the grits on every plate.
Baked Cheese Grits Casserole
This casserole may be made a number of days forward and both reheated or baked when wanted. It’s excellent for breakfast, brunch or dinner.
2 cups grits (earlier than cooking)
8 cups water
1 stick butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp. garlic salt
4 eggs
Prepare dinner grits in water in keeping with package deal directions. Add in remaining components. Pour in a well-greased casserole dish and bake for 35-40 minutes till grits are fluffy and prime is barely browned.
Shrimp and Grits
For the shrimp combination:
2 slices of bacon
1-pound unpeeled, medium dimension uncooked shrimp
Salt and pepper to style or Cajun seasoning
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sliced recent mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped inexperienced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup hen broth
2 tablespoons of recent lemon juice
Scorching sauce to style
Prepare dinner bacon in a big nonstick skillet over medium warmth for about 10 minutes or till crisp. Take away bacon, crumble, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 teaspoon of the drippings within the skillet. Peel and devein shrimp. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper or Cajun seasoning and dredge in flour.
Sauté mushrooms within the scorching bacon drippings with further oil, if wanted. Prepare dinner for about 5 minutes or till tender. Add inexperienced onions and sauté two further minutes. Add shrimp and garlic and sauté two minutes or till shrimp are frivolously browned and now not translucent.
Stir in hen broth, lemon juice, and scorching sauce. Prepare dinner two extra minutes stirring to loosen any particles on the underside of the skillet. Spoon shrimp combination over scorching cheese grits and sprinkled with a crumbled bacon.
For the cheese grits:
1 1/3 cup water
1 – 14-ounce canned hen broth
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raw fast grits
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 to 4 dashes of scorching sauce
black pepper to style
Convey first 4 components to boil in a big sauce pan over medium excessive warmth. When it has come to a boil, progressively whisk in grits. Scale back warmth to low and simmer stirring sometimes, for about 10 minutes or till clean. Stir in cheddar cheese and subsequent three components. Add extra salt if wanted.
Primos Model Grits
Primos grits have all the time been a household favourite and this recipe is as near theirs as I can get. Primos creamy grits can’t be topped. I’m not positive what magic they put in them however it might be the cream. Once I have to make mine further wealthy and creamy, here’s what I do:
Creamy Grits:
Prepare dinner one cup stone-ground grits, in keeping with package deal instructions, then simply earlier than serving, stir in about ½ cup heavy cream. Salt and pepper to style and serve with a tablespoon of butter on prime.
Ina Garten‘s Parmesan Polenta for Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ina calls her grits “polenta” and pairs them with roasted Italian meatballs and tomato sauce. I used to be very skeptical after I first learn her recipe, however it’s completely implausible. Serving spaghetti and meatballs for a crowd or get together is a nightmare with boiling the water and dividing out the pasta. I make an excessive amount of or too little pasta, and all the time make an enormous mess. This mix is ideal as a result of you can also make the polenta forward and hold it heat on range prime till the visitors are able to eat. Ina’s philosophy is about spending time along with your visitors, not spending time within the kitchen prepping through the get together.
6 cups hen inventory, ideally do-it-yourself
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups stone floor cornmeal (or grits)
1½ tablespoons coarse kosher salt (if utilizing common salt, cut back quantity to 1½ teaspoons)
2 teaspoons freshly floor black pepper to style
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons crème fraiche (I take advantage of bitter cream)
3 tablespoons butter, diced
Mix the hen inventory and garlic in a big sauce pan and convey to a boil over excessive warmth. Scale back the warmth to simmer and really slowly whisk within the grits. Whisking consistently to ensure there aren’t any lumps.
As soon as the grits have been added, add kosher salt and pepper. Simmer over very low warmth for about 10 -Quarter-hour, stirring virtually consistently till thick. You’ll want to scrape the underside of the pan totally whilst you’re stirring. As soon as the polenta is creamy and cooked, take away from the warmth and stir within the Parmesan cheese, crème fraiche (or bitter cream) and butter. Style for seasoning and serve scorching.
Polenta may be made forward and saved within the fridge for as much as 5 days. When able to serve, spoon the polenta into a big sauce pan. Slowly warmth and add further hen inventory or water. Prepare dinner till creamy and scorching.
