Grits

[Bobonli]

The food not the Duckworth book or the thread about sandpaper!

I need some help because I keep failing at this thing that should be easy. I thought I was using crap store-bought stuff so I ordered some legit Anson Mills Antebellum Coarse White Grits.The instructions offer two pathways: overnight soak + 50 mins cook OR 90 mins cook. I chose the 90 minute method because I forgot to soak. I followed the directions to a T: started with brought water to a simmer and added little amounts of water every 10-12 minutes to keep them from turning into a paste. They looked a little mushy at 90 minutes. I finished with butter and salt/pepper. Yes, I kept stirring them.

Flavor was okay but texture was a junk show. Some of the individual grits were hard, others mushy. The overall product could run across the plate......for about 10 minutes then it turned to a texture you could use to patch drywall. What remained in the pot was a brick by the end of dinner.

I'm open to coaching. I can't see what I'm doing fundamentally wrong. Some of the content on youtube has people blasting the pot with heat and getting it done in like 20 minutes. Is the pre--soak the critical element (I rarely see that mentioned on videos)?

[ericpmoss]

I start with cold water, and use more butter from the beginning, on the theory that it gets in between the particles, and even if it fails... butter.

[giordana93]

You are almost certainly stirring too much. Do you know how to cook rice? treat grits as you treat rice: do you constantly stir rice? no. if you did, the same results would occur. Do you add water after the rice is started? not unless you mis-measured or have a rice that needs more water than your average rice and it's the first time you cook it...... In other words, rice/grits is not something you eyeball and adjust along the way and stir to keep from sticking. Measure everything up properly and let it simmer gently.

I also start with cold water. You can stir it all up before things get cooking so every grain gets wet and avoid lumps where the outside of a gob is cooking but not the center.

I'm not familiar with that brand of grits, but I assume they suggest a proper water to grits ratio and it is usually pretty high, like 4:1. Trust the package and measure carefully. If you end up with runny grits (which will firm up after cooling though, remember) you will know next time to use slightly less water with that brand. Like rice you can start with a medium heat and when the grit volcanoes start, maybe give it a quick (single) stir and turn it to a low simmer. You can even turn the heat off towards the end and let the latent heat of the pot and grits themselves finish the final water absorption and they start to set up from cooling (that process of changing from runny to brick you describe). If they are on the firm side when it is time to serve, stir a few drips of water in.

edit: butter is good but not entirely necessary and won't save bad technique, but butter.....

[giordana93]

so curiosity got the better of me and I checked the web for those grits and would say they are more challenging than plain old hominy grits that are more finely ground, so don't feel bad. I did notice this in the instructions:

Either way, don’t rush these grits. If you do and the grits boil, their aromatic oils will emulsify, coat the larger particles of corn, and prevent the particles from softening in the water. They’ll take even longer to cook.

probably what happened to you, although I still think you should limit the stirring; the fact that you have small and large grits in that coarse ground--as opposed to a more uniform size-- means it will pretty hard not to have some "toothiness" as they call it as the bigger ones won't be fully done when the smaller ones are. I do notice that they call out what I said, pretty much a 4:1 water to grits, and I still don't like the add water every 10 minutes or so technique. maybe necessary with these fancy ones, but not a standard operating procedure for beginners for sure. Sounds like they really want you to do the overnight soak to speed things along and discourage high heat. If you want to skip the overnight, and it is for a dinner where you'll have some time, I would suggest starting out as I said with a 4:1 cold water on a low simmer you don't have to check on too often until the end, making sure to have enough lead time for the cool down/set (so 90 minutes+ 10ish). I would also suggest you pick up some "quick" (not instant) grits which take about 5-10 minutes and whip up a pot with breakfast every once in a while to get a feel for the grain. Hard to beat with eggs/toast and they can simmer in the background as you do the eggs. By the way, I am firmly in the "no cheese in my grits" camp. you have to choose a side. I mean, I can tolerate it, but for me its just a small pat of butter and the right amount of salt (which is arguably the hardest part of cooking them, getting the salt right)

[Bobonli]

Wow thanks for the detailed response. As luck would have it I just watched a shrimp and grits recipe and the guy barely touched them after the initial stir. My next attempt I’ll try the overnight soak and starting all the water at the beginning. Practice makes perfect.

[Moke]

And when you get the basic grits figured out. Try cheese and garlic grits. One local brewpub here in Missoula makes cheese grits and Brisket for an entree. Would not have thunk BBQ goes with grits, but it sure is tasty. You are guilty sir of over stirring in your first attempt.

[Bobonli]

Not to argue but I just looked at three recipes (Epicurious, Serious Eats and Southern Living) and all prescribe “stir frequently” or “whisk often.”
What’s up with that?

[giordana93]

I dunno. It depends really. If you have a gas stove that can't get a low simmer or you are trying to hurry things along, a little bit of stirring to get stuff off the bottom of the pan may be needed to avoid sticking/burning or just to make sure the water is being evenly distributed through the gruel as it is possible to have a little segregation from top to bottom as things thicken up. Kinda like oatmeal. But if you stir too much you can break up the starch into a liquid goo with uncooked bits trying to float in it, much like rice that has been stirred too much (one reason I always use parboiled rice when I make jambalaya, you can stir it without breaking down the grain). You can definitely stir it more than rice and the quick style grits can handle a little more stirring (I think they are similarly parboiled) but if the temps are low enough you need patience more than stirring other than the occasional stir to check progress/thickness & re-homogenizing/redistributing the low heat. Some people like to whisk/stir alot to whip up the creaminess of grits and that's not a bad thing, but I would add that to your repertoire once you get a handle on how to judge doneness/thickness/ready for plating. it's like smashing the beans in red beans.

[jclay]

Heavens Northerner; you're working way too hard, thinking way too much....this is a Southern Dish, well until it got co-opted by young hipsters...it shouldn't require much thought or effort.

You get your store bought grits not instant and not some fancy pants stuff that's made slowly, with love and intended for some she-she "cuisine" invented by a 30 something. You put x amount into a microwave-able vessel, you put 5x of water into said vessel, add some salt, stick it in the micro without the lid, go high for as long as it takes to start boiling, lid it and stick it on uber low for 15 min, or is it 11...I forget (but being Southern I can feel it and make it work) and you'll have to figure it out for your particular product but this neither rocket science nor haute cuisine. In our micro, and with a cup of water, that's about 3 min high and the rest on 7%. If you're using aforementioned she-she grits then the timing will obviously be different but the "sprinkle water" thing while carefully stirring...good grief...if it needs water add it but you don't have to do it in a mystical or overly reverent fashion...add it, stir it and move on.

Now, if you want to use the cooktop that's fine too, but for the two strips of crumbled bacon and two soft boiled eggs that I frequently put in mine (or the butter if going scrambled or omelet as our family did 6 days a week from before I was born until after I left home; shit on a shingle + my father's biscuits was for Sundays), I get to save dishwashing by cooking the grits in the bowl I'm going to use at the table, or in front of the TV or computer.

Grits: I could go to Bradley's Country Store and get whatever home ground stuff they're offering but most Southerners get whatever is on offer at the store. Frequently it's quick grits (Jim Dandy was my latest bag 'cause that's what was on the shelf) but it could be Dixie Lillie, Piggly Wiggly or the store's house brand.

And what's with this shrimp and grits thing? I've lived and travelled around down here all my life and I'll be darned if I have any recollection of shrimp and grits, growing up. Maybe it's sub-regional, Charleston or New Orleans or some such but it certainly wasn't on the radar in coastal NC, Pensacola or the panhandle of Florida..and we do, or did, have shrimp. What goes with grits is butter & salt or gravy (milk + flour) made from the sausage grease you conveniently have in the sausage pan the next burner over. Or grit cakes made of yesterday's congealed grits (stir with egg + water, make little cakes and fry in butter or bacon grease...and then put butter on top with a sprinkle of salt). Fried cream of wheat is pretty tasty too but that's a topic for another day.

If you insist on grits that mostly only rich people get from catalogs/internet then I'd suggest Bradley's Country Store near Tallahassee. It's an honest to goodness country store that's been run by the same family since the '20s. They produce their own sausage which is quite good and I'm sure they sell tupelo honey but I get mine from the Lanier & Son guy down at the Y, at Newport, south of town; that's the real deal.

Welcome to Our Store
L. L. Lanier & Son's Tupelo Honey | Wewahitchka, Florida

Oh, "pre-soak"?? Man, I don't know where that comes from. 60+ years in The South, preparation and consumption of what Uncle Clevis would call "a blue pantload" (use your imagination) of grits and I have never heard of that. Maybe if each "grit" is the size of a marble? The movie my Cousin Vinny comes to mind.

It's rainy and gray, I'm out of bacon and I have some excellent oatmeal left over from yesterday but suddenly I'm jonesing for a couple of soft boiled eggs in a bowl of grits.

Oh x 2: I stir it once about half way through the micro but some stir it more. Just don't beat the crap out of it. And what's with all these non-southerners giving grits advice?? I'm feeling like Richard Sachs giving framebuilding advice to newbies. I was born in a grit bowl...and butter is after or near the end of cooking.

[Bobonli]

Thank you John. I will take everyone’s advice and put less effort into it!

[giordana93]

And what's with all these non-southerners giving grits advice??

not that I give a hoot, but my location clearly indicates this not to be the case, and yes shrimp and grits is a Charleston/Low Country thing we do in New Orleans but it's not native to here. Done right, it can be pretty fabulous though (don't add the shrimp too early!!! only at the end)

ps Momma from Savannah, daddy Defuniak/PortStJoe/Cantonment ....

[jclay]

Robbie tucking into some grits, a couple of eggs over easy, shredded taters with peppers & onion and Bradley's sausage. I'm moments behind him. Excellent for breakfast or supper (as opposed to dinner).

And if you like superior oysters, get your favorite purveyor to offer Panacea Pearl farmed oysters. Robbie is part an oyster aquaculture co-op. Better oysters, not an extractive activity like natural caught and it's better for the environment particularly in that it provides habitat for other sea life!

Our Story | Panacea Oysters

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[Bobonli]

Success!

Quick grits much easier to work with than what I’ve been struggling with. I grabbed some Quaker Oats branded ones, started with cold water, 4:1 brought to a boil, stir, reduce to low for 5 mins covered. Added some butter, pepper and cheese. Final stir and onto a plate with some sunny side up eggs. Perfect.

I cannot believe it’s this easy and I’ve been struggling for a long time to get it right. Thanks everyone.

[jclay]

Success!

Quick grits much easier to work with than what I’ve been struggling with. I grabbed some Quaker Oats branded ones, started with cold water, 4:1 brought to a boil, stir, reduce to low for 5 mins covered. Added some butter, pepper and cheese. Final stir and onto a plate with some sunny side up eggs. Perfect.

I cannot believe it’s this easy and I’ve been struggling for a long time to get it right. Thanks everyone.

Excellent!

You didn't mention salt. In The South grits provide transportation for salt and butter unless you're frying mullet, shrimp, oysters and such as that, in which case it's salt and yellow cheese that you need to add. With those basics observed, a modest bit of pepper can be a fine addition.

[Bobonli]

Yes, salt of course!

[ericpmoss]

Well, as long as they weren't instant grits.

[htwoopup]

shredded taters with peppers & onion

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As a side note...this Yankee is partial to some Tony Chacere's seasoning sprinkled liberally on the shredded taters during the cooking process. Or any other cajun seasoning. Heck, you can even use Old Bay. That's also from just below the Mason Dixon line.

[giordana93]

I'm standing by my just say no to cheese rec. not that it's bad but should be the exception not the rule

[rwsaunders]

We need to start an oatmeal thread, as I’m trying to eat a bowl of slop (allegedly oatmeal) at RDU while waiting to catch a plane. Perhaps I’m spoiled by plain old, “nothing is better for thee than me” Quaker Oats. The bowl in front of me looks like someone might have substituted grits and labeled it oatmeal, or perhaps mislabeled a lab sample of something.

[Matthew Strongin]

We need to start an oatmeal thread, as I’m trying to eat a bowl of slop (allegedly oatmeal) at RDU while waiting to catch a plane. Perhaps I’m spoiled by plain old, “nothing is better for thee than me” Quaker Oats. The bowl in front of me looks like someone might have substituted grits and labeled it oatmeal, or perhaps mislabeled a lab sample of something.

Steel cut oats. Everything else is slop. I don't do this often anymore, but toss a bunch of oats and water in a big rice cooker, as as much cinnamon as you can handle, and turn the rice cooker on. A couple hours later you'll have a vat of perfect oatmeal that you can keep in the fridge for the week. And it won't be slop.