Grits?

As a Brit coming on my first visit to the southwest in Oct, what are GRITS. Sorry about the ignorance heard it mentioned in the movies
Thanks
rovi

quote:

Originally posted by Rovi

As a Brit coming on my first visit to the southwest in Oct, what are GRITS. Sorry about the ignorance heard it mentioned in the movies
Thanks
rovi

You can use the search option and get more than you have time to read, however to save you some time, I have attached on of the many threads devoted to this beloved southern dish and never appreciated by most of our northern friends.


Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2498

quote:

Originally posted by Rovi

As a Brit coming on my first visit to the southwest in Oct, what are GRITS. Sorry about the ignorance heard it mentioned in the movies
Thanks
rovi

As a northener, I'd be tempted to describe grits to you as a mushy ground-corn-based breakfast side-dish that has the consistancy of watered-down oatmeal (only without any of the taste of oatmeal.) ... BUT, I travel in the south so much that I have actually become fond of grits -- especially at places that know how to make them.

Here's another link that might help:
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/SearchResults.aspx?st=restaurants&ps=1&s=&c=&kw=&pkw=grits&ob=restaurantname

Think of grits along the lines of an English porridge. But it's made with finely ground corn rather than oats, so it has a finer consistency. And it's made without any additions -- sugar, whatever -- making it bland, like a straight English porridge. Additions are up to the eater. But...if you're going to the southwest, you're not likely to encounter it. It's pretty much a southeast US thing.

I agree. I spend half the year in Arizona (i.e. the southwest) and I rarely encounter grits. Some places have them, but as they are not especially popular in those parts, I wouldn't expect them to be very good. They are a common and beloved part of the cuisine in the southEAST. I haven't spent a lot of time in Texas, but as that is kind of a place where the South and the West meet and mix, they may be worth eating there as well.

If you do visit any part of that area and order them, you can horrify the restaurant staff (and perhaps get yourself tossed out) by putting sugar or milk on them as Yankees do on their Cream of Wheat (another type of American porridge). The accepted condiment is some form of grease such as butter (but occasionally bacon grease or so-called "red eye" gravy made from same). Cheese is also acceptable as pdxyyz points out.

Oh, and perhaps you are familiar with polenta which is not made the same nor does it taste quite the same, but is another type of corn-based porridge.

COUNTRY HAM WITH RED-EYE GRAVY

1/4-inch-thick center cut of country ham
4 tablespoons black coffee
1/2 teaspoon sugar

This is a traditional way of serving country ham in many parts of the South. It's ususally served for breakfast with grits and hot biscuits. Water may be used in place of the coffee, but it won't have that unique flavor.

1) Trim off the skin from the slice of ham. Fry the ham quickly in an ungreased hot skillet for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove the ham from the pan and set aside.

2) To the hot fat remaining, add the black coffee and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, cover, and simmer for a couple of minutes.

3) Pour the gravy over the ham slices and serve.

Serves 1-2

Hum the following while eating: http://www.contemplator.com/midimusic/blueflag.mid

Do Brits eat cream of wheat? That's the closest grain based cereal I can think of to grits. A southern restaurant can be graded on its grits. Poorly made grits abound and they can be down right nasty but when made correctly...aah ambrosia! A southern staple, grits are found mainly south of the Mason-Dixon line and east of the Mississippi(Dixie). Not to be cunfused with G.R.I.T.S (girls raised in the south) another Dixie delight best saved for another forum..

Aaah, grits. I hate to say, I've had worse women. Buttery, peppery, salty. All of the above. Grits are to rejoice for!

Here's grits:

One of my favorite dishes is Shrimp & Grits, mhich may be a Charleston, SC area dish but is great!! I grew up without grits but having been in TN for 13 years now is a dish I love, in the many versatile ways it is made.

quote:

Originally posted by carlton pierre

One of my favorite dishes is Shrimp & Grits, mhich may be a Charleston, SC area dish but is great!! I grew up without grits but having been in TN for 13 years now is a dish I love, in the many versatile ways it is made.

I had shrimp and grits for the first time, a few months ago, in Florence SC. They were so delicious that I ordered them the next evening in a nice little restaurant in Dillon, SC. Both of the presentations were quite rich but really great.

Grits is good!!!
Try [url]www.hoppinjohns.com[/url] for a great source of real stone ground grits and good recipes.
If you will be in the southwest US try posole(hominy) which is the unground version of grits.

thanks for the history lesson, after all the comments I think I will give it a miss.I will have to try some other delights when I get over there.
Thanks
Rovi

I'd offer to send you some, but my grit bushes just aren't producing this year. Must be all this rain in Tennessee.

I agree with BT: if you're in the southwest, you're not likely gonna find grits on the menu anyway. In Albuquerque (given that you're coming in October, might you be in town for the balloon fiesta?), the only places I know of that consistently have grits on the menu are Cracker Barrel and Waffle House, and neither of them are places I can recommend in good conscience. (Waffle House fans: yes, I know, I like them too, but the WHs in ABQ are just awful, the worst I've ever been in by far.)

My brother in law, an exec with NFL Films, "found" the Waffle House when in town for the SuperBowl (must be nice to be REQUIRED to attend,all expense paid huh) He and my sister where here for my daughters wedding this past weekend. The first night here we made a late night run to WH. His first stop in the morning?? Waffle House.. They were here 5 days and he ate at WH every morning and at least twice late night.. And all this time I thought he was just a computer geek jock...........

Obviously, you have a prince of a brother-in-law -- a sensible, discerning individual with excellent taste. Congratulations.

quote:

Originally posted by dreamzpainter

My brother in law, an exec with NFL Films, "found" the Waffle House when in town for the SuperBowl (must be nice to be REQUIRED to attend,all expense paid huh) He and my sister where here for my daughters wedding this past weekend. The first night here we made a late night run to WH. His first stop in the morning?? Waffle House.. They were here 5 days and he ate at WH every morning and at least twice late night.. And all this time I thought he was just a computer geek jock...........

Does he live in Michigan and have a hat on his head 24/7 ?

Grits is gross!

TheLady

Grits for the Grits-challenged. (Guaranteed to please most)

6 cups of chicken broth
2 cups stone ground grits(avoid that Quaker oats slimy stuff if at all possible)
1 can yellow or white hominy
2 cans chopped green chilies
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Tabasco to taste
2 tsp garlic powder
6 eggs, beaten
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese


In large saucepan, add chicken broth, grits, butter, drained hominy, chilies, tabasco, garlic powder. Simmer, stirring constantly for 20-25 mins. Remove from heat and rapidly stir in eggs. Then add 3 cups of the cheese. Pour into a greased deep casserole or jellyroll pan and bake in 400 degree oven for about 25 mins. Add remaining cup of cheese to top and bake 5 mins more. Let cool slightly, cut into squares and serve. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm dat's good

quote:

Originally posted by redtressed

Grits for the Grits-challenged. (Guaranteed to please most)

6 cups of chicken broth
2 cups stone ground grits(avoid that Quaker oats slimy stuff if at all possible)
1 can yellow or white hominy
2 cans chopped green chilies
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Tabasco to taste
2 tsp garlic powder
6 eggs, beaten
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese


In large saucepan, add chicken broth, grits, butter, drained hominy, chilies, tabasco, garlic powder. Simmer, stirring constantly for 20-25 mins. Remove from heat and rapidly stir in eggs. Then add 3 cups of the cheese. Pour into a greased deep casserole or jellyroll pan and bake in 400 degree oven for about 25 mins. Add remaining cup of cheese to top and bake 5 mins more. Let cool slightly, cut into squares and serve. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm dat's good

Nope; the chicken broth is a no-no. You are putting hominy AND grits together????? YOU ARE PUTTING EGGS IN GRITS????????????????? Cut into SQUARES???????????????????????????????????

4 cups of water

1 cup of grits

1 heaping tablespoon of butter or margarine

½ teaspoon of salt



Use a 2-3 quart pot that has a lid.

Add the water, salt and butter to the pot, cover with the lid and bring the water to a boiling roll.

Watch the pot carefully because it will begin boiling quickly with the lid on.

Once the water, salt and butter mixture is boiling add the grits.

Carefully stir the grits breaking any clumps apart that may have formed when you added the grits.

Boil hard for 2-3 minutes, carefully stir the grits and then reduce the heat to low.

Place the lid back on the pot and continue cooking on very low heat.

Stir and check the grits often so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pot.

When the grits are becoming thick, not runny or soupy anymore, about 10 minutes or so, shut the heat off, stir the grits and set the pot of grits off to the side.

Add another tablespoon of butter or margarine to the top of the grits, do not stir the butter in, place the lid back on and leave the grits alone.

Leave the grits undisturbed for 5 to 10 minutes.

When you are ready to serve the grits, blend in that last tablespoon of butter you placed on top of the grits earlier that is now laying all across the top of the grits.

My only addition to above is to use LOTS of more butter when serving grits.

ADJ: I like the grits the way you do. I add black pepper to them and I happen to like it that way. Real butter really makes them. I think what Red was doing is making a casserole. Grits go good with almost anything. I truly loved uglesichs grits, shrimp and cheese.

Obviously grits are not for everyone as expressed by some on this thread. I have enjoyed them my entire life. I love the mild corn flavor.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I had the whole family enjoying grits with this recipe of Emeril's. Grillades anyone?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cooking/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25317,00.html

<-------takes Adjudicator by the hand...C'mere you......Now, read what I said........."GRITS FOR THE GRITS CHALLENGED". This is an introduction to grits......for those who previously hated grits......sorta like getting a Shirley Temple for a kiddo.......sorta like hiding onions and mushrooms in an italian sauce........sorta like putting your dog's medicine in a piece of cheese........and so on and so forth. It's a recipe to foment more adventerous forays into hardcore grit-eatin'. It's to provide the urge to search for the holy grail of grits, those beautiful burlap sacks of the stuff, like those milled and ground at Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's to start an addiction.......Hell it's worked on every unsuspecting victim I've fed this to.

Also........this recipe comes from one of the Biblical Bastions of modern southern cooking: Southern Living's "Cooking Across the South"

As Flo would utter as she snaps her gum , whilst in her purty pink waitress uniform:


"Kiss Mah Grits, Bubba"

quote:

Originally posted by redtressed

<-------takes Adjudicator by the hand...C'mere you......Now, read what I said........."GRITS FOR THE GRITS CHALLENGED". This is an introduction to grits......for those who previously hated grits......sorta like getting a Shirley Temple for a kiddo.......sorta like hiding onions and mushrooms in an italian sauce........sorta like putting your dog's medicine in a piece of cheese........and so on and so forth. It's a recipe to foment more adventerous forays into hardcore grit-eatin'. It's to provide the urge to search for the holy grail of grits, those beautiful burlap sacks of the stuff, like those milled and ground at Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's to start an addiction.......Hell it's worked on every unsuspecting victim I've fed this to.

Also........this recipe comes from one of the Biblical Bastions of modern southern cooking: Southern Living's "Cooking Across the South"

As Flo would utter as she snaps her gum , whilst in her purty pink waitress uniform:


"Kiss Mah Grits, Bubba"

OK. Since it CAME from Southern Living...
Hey, I wuz jist kiddin' (in my original post), anyway...

Pan-Fried Garlic Grits

"When I make grits for breakfast, I start them the night before, and it rarely occurs to me to make some extra for pan-fried grits some other morning. So this was a rare treat. I melted a pat of butter in the skillet and just scooped the cold grits out of the bowl, flattening them out with a spatula. Besides the garlic, these are seasoned with minced onion, Crystal hot sauce, coarse-ground black pepper, and chopped bits of country ham fat and rind trimmings. (If you look close, you can see a chunk of the fat at the front edge of the grits cake in the photo.)

The trick with these is not to hurry them -- in fact I vacuumed the living room while I waited, getting my morning chore out of the way before sitting down to eat. I was going to fry some eggs to go with them, but I ended up just topping the cakes with shavings of butter and scarfing them down straight. Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and packing a solid garlic punch."

Credits: http://www.outlawcook.com

quote:

Adjudicator
Double Chili Cheeseburger



1157 Posts
Posted - 06/24/2005 : 17:55:53
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
Originally posted by redtressed

<-------takes Adjudicator by the hand...C'mere you......Now, read what I said........."GRITS FOR THE GRITS CHALLENGED". This is an introduction to grits......for those who previously hated grits......sorta like getting a Shirley Temple for a kiddo.......sorta like hiding onions and mushrooms in an italian sauce........sorta like putting your dog's medicine in a piece of cheese........and so on and so forth. It's a recipe to foment more adventerous forays into hardcore grit-eatin'. It's to provide the urge to search for the holy grail of grits, those beautiful burlap sacks of the stuff, like those milled and ground at Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's to start an addiction.......Hell it's worked on every unsuspecting victim I've fed this to.

Also........this recipe comes from one of the Biblical Bastions of modern southern cooking: Southern Living's "Cooking Across the South"

As Flo would utter as she snaps her gum , whilst in her purty pink waitress uniform:


"Kiss Mah Grits, Bubba"





OK. Since it CAME from Southern Living...
Hey, I wuz jist kiddin' (in my original post), anyway...

Yes, dearie, I knew that. But for general purposes and such you can still kiss mah grits.

Btw........I had a mess of Adjudicator grits for lunch this afternoon. See how inspirational you are?( Of course I savored them as my 7 year old son Adam looked on with a wrinkled up nose..........."Where's the cheese . Mama? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww gross!)

quote:

Originally posted by Adjudicator



Pan-Fried Garlic Grits

"When I make grits for breakfast, I start them the night before, and it rarely occurs to me to make some extra for pan-fried grits some other morning. So this was a rare treat. I melted a pat of butter in the skillet and just scooped the cold grits out of the bowl, flattening them out with a spatula. Besides the garlic, these are seasoned with minced onion, Crystal hot sauce, coarse-ground black pepper, and chopped bits of country ham fat and rind trimmings. (If you look close, you can see a chunk of the fat at the front edge of the grits cake in the photo.)

The trick with these is not to hurry them -- in fact I vacuumed the living room while I waited, getting my morning chore out of the way before sitting down to eat. I was going to fry some eggs to go with them, but I ended up just topping the cakes with shavings of butter and scarfing them down straight. Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and packing a solid garlic punch."

Credits: http://www.outlawcook.com

That makes my mouth water. Now, if I could just get someone to cook the grits in the first place ... .

I had shrimp & grits at a great little restaurant in Fountain City called The Creamery tonight. I'm not aware of any other place in Knoxville that makes 'em this good.

Fried Hominy

Ingredients:

Several Strips of Bacon (HA!!!!!!!, use as much as you want... )
One or two cans of White Hominy (I suggest two...)
A few pieces of onion if desired (A few???...)
Black pepper to taste (fresh cracked, of course...)


Fry bacon crisp. Remove from pan.
Drain most of grease. Drain water off hominy. Fry hominy in bacon grease.
Crumble bacon & mix in hominy.

Serve as alternative to grits (because we all know what grits is made from, right?)

Bacon grease RULES
*******************************************************************

This song, adopted by the National Grits Festival, was written by Michael McDaniel, age 5, from Warwick, GA.

I’m from Warwick, Georgia
And I know what I want to eat.
I don’t want no oatmeal and
I don’t want Cream of Wheat.
Give me some grits, baby,
Give me some grits, baby,
You can eat it with butter,
You can eat it with cheese,
You can eat it anytime with
Anything you please.
As long as its grits, baby,
Just give me some grits, baby!

Warwick, Georgia,
Grits Capital of the World.

http://www.gritsfest.com