My family, from my father’s side (north FL/south GA – I grew up in Louisiana) has always eaten grits mixed with eggs. We cook grits normally, and fry or scramble eggs, and then mix them together on the plate or in a bowl with butter, salt, and pepper. My brother and I absolutely love it and don’t eat grits any other way. But strangely enough, except for the other posters who’ve mentioned it, perhaps, this doesn’t seem to be a terribly common practice even in the South in my experience.
Agreed. For a one or two person portion (maybe a half cup of dry grits), you should do about 4:1 water, or a little less. I boil the water and then add the grits, gradually lowering the heat while stirring, and it’s ready in 10 to 15 minutes.
I remember my grandma Bertha saying “cook it till it curdles and starts to creep over the pot.”
What he said. The directions on the bag are just our little joke, honey. We like to tease the Yankees. You need 4:1 water to grits. The final texture should be just like good risotto, creamy and spreading thickly on the plate.
I like mine with mild cheddar and bacon crumbles added at the last minute so they stay crunchy. My Grandmother used to do them with those tiny salad shrimp (why yes, this was the 70’s, how did you know?) and that cheddar cheese with swirls of port wine flavor through it. She’d fry up the shrimp in the cast iron skillet with bacon fat.
Adds bacon, cheese and shrimp to grocery list.
There are lots of watermills that still make “artisanal” grits, and you CAN tell a difference.
I get mine from a “dealer” in North Georgia.
I just looked at the 2 bags in my pantry, and both say 1:4 (grits:water,) for what it’s worth. One is Quaker quick grits (not instant), the other is Anson Mills.
Sampiro, if memory serves you’re in central Alabama … the Kymulga Grist Mill from my hometown of Childersburg still does stone-ground grits. I think they sell them in area stores.
From an eating perspective, I’ve always followed the recommendation of Lewis Grizzard: Grits are essentially flavorless grains of yuck on their own. They’re a way to get other stuff, like butter, salt, pepper, bacon and cheese, into your mouth.
So I’m fine with instant grits, because I load them up with so much stuff I don’t really taste the grits any more. We’re partial to Quaker Oats instant grits at the Sauron household; Aries28 will make them most Saturday mornings, and we add enough cheddar cheese to choke an entire swarm of rats.
War Eagle Mill might be a fun weekend trip for you. Sort of close to Eureka Springs, too . Fall Festival coming up in a week or so.
That was for Baker
Yeah, and they’re good. Unfortunately they only carry them at Piggly Wiggly (yes, there are still a few of those in existence) and there’s not one near me.
Someone should start a thread on “really good local brands”. Just like grits, there’s a couple of brands of sausage and cheese I love that are only locally available.
A few?? Try 600.
I love that store & hit them whenever I’m outside Atlanta.
Salt, pepper, sausage and scrambled eggs.
There’s nothing fancy about grits at all. Don’t think too hard about it.
And since my family’s both Italian and Southern, I know grits and polenta are exactly the same. Tomato sauce and mozzarella? Polenta. Cheddar and eggs? Grits. Though often polenta is allowed to cool, solidify, and then fried or grilled in thick slices. I’ve never seen that done with grits.
But hominy and corn are quite distinct. I’ve typically had hominy grits, and it tastes distinct from polenta. It’s like the difference between a tamale made with masa and a tamale made with regular corn meal. I’m a bit puzzled when people say they are exactly the same, unless maybe they’re talking about non-hominy grits (which I don’t believe I’ve had.)
I am southern. My girlfriend is from Cleveland, and Jewish. She made me grits with little bits of bacon in it, and honey.
I will not let her go.
Fried grit cakes aren’t uncommon in nicer southern restaurants. I make them at home to serve a piece of fish over, but the little pieces of corn will pop all over the kitchen if you aren’t careful.
I let the grits cool in a large glass in the fridge, then knock the whole cylinder out and slice it into disks before frying. (It helps to grease the glass first.)
My uncle serves quail over fried grits every single Christmas Day. It’s not Christmas to him without that dish.
Okay, grits are white hominy polenta. Polenta is a wider term that encompasses yellow stuff too. Can’t say I tell much of a difference, probably because I don’t eat either one plain. Masa versus corn meal is a whole different story. That’s like biscuits versus cornbread. Very distinct.
But Masa is made from hominy, right? Is that the main difference between it and fine corn meal?
I didn’t realize they were going that strong; that’s bigger than Winn Dixie (now that Winn Dixie is shrinking or being absorbed into BI-LO).
Just goes to show you how regional grocery stores are. I grew up with Winn Dixie, but haven’t laid eyes on one since the last time I went home.
Pretty much. Grits are chunked hominy, while masa is finely ground hominy flour. Cornmeal is made from non-nixtamalized corn.