Grits? "I'm confused"

[Chile Chef]

I know what grits are, Well I thought I did until I watched Alton's brown's episode on grits the other night.


So is corn meal grits, or could be made into grits?

And my second question, How long do I need to cook them for to make them creamy and not el dente?

 

[Wyogal]

here's some info:
about grits - Google Search

 

[Chile Chef]

here's some info:
about grits - Google Search

Thank you very much Wyogal.

 

[Arky]

Most people do not know how to properly cook grits. They either end up too watery, or stiffer than partially set concrete! Unlike cornmeal, which is added after the water comes to a boil, add your grits to the pot of water while it's still cold and then boil, stirring until the spoon leaves a trail on the surface as you move it about. Conditions such as humidity, altitude and the true quantity - plus or minus a few grits - makes a difference, so no package instructions can ever be reliable. You've just got to "feel" your grits!! And don't forget the butter (NO MARGARINE) and salt! unless you want the Grit Police knocking at your door!

 

[Mark Webster]

Grits are awesome. My first experience with grits came when I first got stationed on the gulf coast and I tried to order has browns for breakfast at a restaurant. After my server stopped laughing, I got a complete lesson on grits and how to eat them. For breakfast generally used as a platform where a sunnyside egg has been placed on top. They are great in a variety of dishes and having lived in Charleston, SC for three years and going to culinary school there I aquired several great recipes.

 

[kitchenelf]

Grits are awesome. My first experience with grits came when I first got stationed on the gulf coast and I tried to order has browns for breakfast at a restaurant. After my server stopped laughing, I got a complete lesson on grits and how to eat them. For breakfast generally used as a platform where a sunnyside egg has been placed on top. They are great in a variety of dishes and having lived in Charleston, SC for three years and going to culinary school there I aquired several great recipes.

That's how I like mine...with a sunnyside up egg on top!

CC - Grits have to be seasoned - HIGHLY seasoned. Cooking them just takes practice. I like to season mine with salt, pepper, garlic powder, LOTS of butter, and then when done stir in lots of cheese! Notice a "lot" of "lots of" . When it comes to grits that's just the way it is!

A restaurant around here makes big fat veal shanks falling off the bone and serves them on top of truffled stoneground grits - OMG! Heaven in a bowl!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Please pass the "Cat heads" -------

 

[oldrustycars]

Please pass the "Cat heads" -------

Cat Head biscuits...just like Jerry Clower's mom made. Hand squshed too.
I love grits. I use Quaker in the red round box. Never instant or quick grits. As we learned in My Cousin Vinny, "No self respecting Southerner uses instant grits". I season with butter and salt.
I don't know why people will eat oatmeal, but are afraid to try grits.

 

[Chile Chef]

Cat Head biscuits...just like Jerry Clower's mom made. Hand squshed too.
I love grits. I use Quaker in the red round box. Never instant or quick grits. As we learned in My Cousin Vinny, "No self respecting Southerner uses instant grits". I season with butter and salt.
I don't know why people will eat oatmeal, but are afraid to try grits.

Oh my gosh, ORC that was my exact name on aol when I was in my teenday's and when aol had 1.0 which was very new at the time!


By the as soon as aol 3.0 came out I've decided it was full of strange users so I went to an internet provider after my year was up!

what a weird flash back with this name "cool"

 

[Loprraine]

I just asked his nibs the original question that was posted. I got a very long lesson on how it is milled. All I know, is that stone ground grits, cooked in butter, milk, heavy cream, makes me very happy. Stone ground grits are getting very hard to find here. Most of the grocery stores carry instant.

 

[Puppy Breath]

If you have Zea's Restaurant in your area you have to try their grits - YUMMY! They are cooked with heavy cream, lots of butter and whole kernel corn - TDF!

I like to cook mine with chicken broth instead of water and add either milk or heavy cream and tons of butter. I agree - never ever instant. I use Aunt Jemima Old Fashioned Grits and pig out when DH cooks pork chops with red-eye gravy and grits - YUM Yum!

 

[kitchenelf]

Puppy Breath (cute name and I LOVE puppy breath!) - - - ok, back to grits. When I make shrimp and grits I use andouille sausage. I poke holes in my andouille and heat it in water. The water gains flavor from the andouille and THAT"S the water I use to cook my grits. We believe in recycling!

UB - Sunday morning may just be cat head day and I may even splurge and make red eye gravy. I'll try to stay away from the country ham...it's just too much sodium for me and I feel it all day long! I'll just take the red eye gravy...no sodium there

 

[Puppy Breath]

Puppy Breath (cute name and I LOVE puppy breath!) - - - ok, back to grits. When I make shrimp and grits I use andouille sausage. I poke holes in my andouille and heat it in water. The water gains flavor from the andouille and THAT"S the water I use to cook my grits. We believe in recycling!

WOW - just thinking about that makes my mouth water - love me some andouille

 

[Arky]

Beans and red-eye gravy on a ham slice or bed of rice, grits on the side - it takes me back to my childhood! Ummmmm! Thank you!

 

[luckytrim]

..ask mama Derek,,,,,,,, she'll tell you all you need to know.......

 

[Chile Chef]

Thanks LT, I've found true grits at Tom's Food Market the other night and I love them, They tasted better then corn meal mush "which I thought was grits"

D'uh, Anyways I have a question? How do I make them creamy and not el dente?


I hate "HATE" el dente and I want creamy. Anyways I had some el dente grits this morning for breakfast with salsa and it was very good considering it was el dente!

 

[Uncle Bob]

By "true grits" I'm assuming Stone Ground ---- For creamy you'll need 30-45 minutes of cooking time. Simmer, stir, add small amounts of liquid if needed...

Enjoy!

 

[Chile Chef]

That's what the package said stone ground, And thank you very much Uncle Bob!

 

[Arky]

Thanks LT, I've found true grits at Tom's Food Market the other night and I love them, They tasted better then corn meal mush "which I thought was grits"

D'uh, Anyways I have a question? How do I make them creamy and not el dente?

I hate "HATE" el dente and I want creamy...

Corn meal mush is made from just corn meal, and after boiled with a little salt, is left to set and get creamy while in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. You can boil corn meal until it gets thick and spoon it into a hot, greased skillet right away, but you'll get a different texture. Those are called Johnny cakes, a name made popular during the American Civil War, but the recipe goes back to about the time of the pilgrims. (The native American indians boiled corn meal, but they had no iron to cook on and used no grease in making them unless they added small bits of meat. They baked them directly in the fire and made indian cornbread. - really good even with a few ashes thrown in!)

Grits is corn or maize that has been soaked in lye before coarsely grinding, more coarsely than corn meal. It can be cooked to a creamy texture, but it just takes time and continuous diligence.

 

[Chile Chef]

Corn meal mush is made from just corn meal, and after boiled with a little salt, is left to set and get creamy while in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. You can boil corn meal until it gets thick and spoon it into a hot, greased skillet right away, but you'll get a different texture. Those are called Johnny cakes, a name made popular during the American Civil War, but the recipe goes back to about the time of the pilgrims. (The native American indians boiled corn meal, but they had no iron to cook on and used no grease in making them unless they added small bits of meat. They baked them directly in the fire and made indian cornbread. - really good even with a few ashes thrown in!)

Grits is corn or maize that has been soaked in lye before coarsely grinding, more coarsely than corn meal. It can be cooked to a creamy texture, but it just takes time and continuous diligence.

Arky, Thanks for the history lesson on Johny Cakes, How tasty are they and what can I garnish them with?