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Creole Grits and Grillades

Source of Recipe

From "The Glory of Southern Cooking" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"A breakfast and brunch favorite on Florida's east coast and Keys is a combination of grits and small pan-fried fish called 'grits and grunts,' while over in Louisiana, the equivalent is a Creole mixture of grits and small pieces of beef or veal that are pounded thin and braised slowly with tomatoes and other vegetables. I've had grits and grillades in the shabbiest of country dives and cafés, but I've also seen them served very ceremoniously from a silver chafing dish at a christening brunch in New Orleans. If you really want to be authentic, sprinkle the portions with a few chopped scallions."

List of Ingredients

For the grillades:
â—¦ Two ½-inch-thick slices beef round (about 1 ½ pounds)
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 tablespoons butter, melted
â—¦ 2 medium onions, chopped
â—¦ 2 ribs celery, chopped
â—¦ ½ green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
â—¦ One 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes
â—¦ 1 cup water

For the grits:
â—¦ 3 cups milk
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 cup quick-cooking grits
â—¦ 1 tablespoon butter


Recipe

With a mallet or rolling pin, pound the beef to a ¼-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares. In a bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic, stir till well blended, rub the mixture into the beef, and sprinkle the beef with the flour.

In a large pot, melt the butter over moderate heat, add the floured beef, brown on both sides, and transfer to a plate. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper to the pot and cook, stirring, till the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices plus the water, return the beef to the pot, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer till the grillades are tender, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the grits, bring the milk and salt to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, taking care not to let it boil. Gradually add the grits, stirring, cover, and cook till the grits are thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and keep covered.

To serve, spoon a mound of grits on each serving plate and spoon equal amounts of the grillades over the grits.

Makes 4 servings