Well, shut my mouth, is that New Orleans Grillades and Grits?? Darn tootin’ it is. Well, now ain’t that the berries!
Doesn’t this look tasty? You wouldn’t normally think of this as a breakfast food though, would you? Grillades (pronounced GREE-ahds) and Grits is a Southern dish that originated in New Orleans and is traditionally served for breakfast or brunch. It is served at home, at weddings and parties, and even at classy debutante balls. Grillades are little steak medallions.
The South has always intrigued me. The geography, the culture, the people, the music, the food. I’m not from the south, but if I were a southerner I’d take pride in it! There is so much that is unique to the south. So much history and charm and a great deal of beauty. And the food is outstanding! Though various regions of the U.S. proudly boast their own kinds of cuisine, the south offers so many dishes that are truly, uniquely “American.”
But back to today’s featured dish. The year 1885 saw Grillades’ first published debut. Despite the French meaning of the word, Grillades are not grilled, rather they are slowly simmered in a rich gravy until the meat is spoon-tender. Early versions of the recipe saw them served alone or paired with rice, a staple in Creole cooking, but have since come to be commonly served with grits.
Be sure to use stone-ground grits, not the instant or fast-cooking kind. Stone-ground grits not only have far more flavor than quick-cooking or instant grits, they also have a lot more antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber.
So put on your best Southern accent and enjoy a well-rounded meal of beef and vegetables served with wholesome stone-ground grits. This is Southern comfort food at its finest.
I know y’alI are as busy as a stump-tailed cow in fly time, but please take a second to mosey on over to The Daring Gourmet’s Facebook Page for more recipes!
* Also be sure to check out The Daring Gourmet’s very own homemade Creole Seasoning recipe.
Okay, let’s get to that Grillades & Grits recipe!
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and creole seasoning.
Dredge the pieces of beef in the flour, shaking off the excess and transfer to a large plate.
Heat the oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Place the beef in the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd, and fry on both sides until browned. Transfer the beef to a plate.
Chop the celery, onions, bell pepper and garlic.
Saute the onions in the skillet until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
Add the bell pepper and celery and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and saute for another 4-5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat.
Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture is a rich brown, about 4 minutes.
Add the beef broth and red wine vinegar, whisking continually until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
Return the vegetables to the skillet and add the Creole Seasoning and bay leaves.
Return the beef to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally.
Serve over hot and creamy grits (see recipe box for instructions).
- For the Grillades
- 2 lbs round steak, pounded to ¼ inch thickness and cut into 2 inch squares
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large red bell pepper (about 1 cup), diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- 2 cups tomatoes, diced or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter or 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (see below)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- For the Grits
- 1 cup stone-ground old-fashioned grits (not instant)
- 5 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Combine the flour, salt and one teaspoon of Creole Seasoning in a shallow bowl. Dredge the pieces of beef in the flour, shaking off the excess and transfer to a large plate.
- Heat the oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Place the beef in the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd, and fry on both sides until browned. Transfer the beef to a plate.
- Saute the onions in the skillet until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the bell pepper and celery and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and saute for another 4-5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
- Melt the 5 tablespoons of butter or olive in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture is a rich brown, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and red wine vinegar, whisking continually until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
- Return the vegetables to the skillet and add the Creole Seasoning and bay leaves. Return the beef to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours or until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the parsley and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve the grillades and gravy ladled over hot grits (see below).
- For the Grits:
- In a 5-quart pot over medium-high heat, bring the milk and salt to a simmer, stirring regularly to prevent the milk from burning.
- Slowly add the grits in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the grits are thick and tender.
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Kathleen Richardson says
I love grits and, with the beef and all the veggies and added flavors, that has got to be a humdinger of a meal. Well done!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Kathleen! It really was. The meat was so tender and the gravy so rich and flavorful. I really enjoyed it over the grits. Not sure I’d necessarily want to eat it for breakfast, but for lunch or dinner – anytime!
Madonna/aka/Ms Lemon says
My Mom used to make something like this, but I did not know the name. I will have to make this.
FYI – I think you have a broken link for the creole seasoning.
The Daring Gourmet says
It’s definitely worth making! Thanks for bringing my attention to the broken link – it’s now fixed.
Sarah Kidd says
How do you think beef cheeks would do in this recipe?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sarah, I think beef cheeks would make a great alternative. This dish involves a long, slow cooking time so the beef cheeks should be able to cook up really nice and tender.
Sarah Kidd says
Thank you cause this sounds like a heavenly meal for us this sat for SEC kickoff and I have some really nice grass fed beef cheeks screaming to be made into this!!!!!! :-)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome! I think there’s an old Chinese proverb that says “Screaming cheeks must be satisfied,” so don’t keep ’em waiting! Happy cooking and have a fabulous weekend, Sarah! :)
Mike says
Beats the beignets out of cherios for breakfast that is
Anonymous says
I’m from Louisiana. So first of all it’s called grits and grillades. And it’s Cajun not Creole. The end. Also all you need to say is make a roux… wow how bout that a French word… thus the Cajun NOT creole!!!!! It is offensesive to people from here when people who are not mix up our cultures. Also it’s not traditionally made with round steak but with pork. So please do not post recipes that arsnt authentic and call them authentic!!!!!!!! It is really offensive to people who grew up in this food to see somebody who ate it 1 time, made the wrong way run their mouth!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I would imagine the bigger offense to Louisianans is a local who claims authority when they clearly have no idea what they’re talking about.
Alex Wright says
Amen, Kimberly. “Anonymous,” I was born and raised in NOLA from several generations of cooks. If you’ve spent any length of time here, then you’ve obviously been living under a rock. Come out before your mouth further exposes your ignorance.
Louisiana Joe says
I’ve heard some ignorant comments in my time but “anonymous” takes the cake. You say you’re from here but like Alex said, you’ve either been living under a rock or managed to sleep all the way through school (e.g., Creoles traditionally speak FRENCH!). Talk about running your mouth… Great recipe by the way, Kimberly.
Anonymous says
Anon is 100% right on all accounts. This is Cajun not Creole, we use pork not beef. I think the biggest point anon was trying to make is that it is offensive to mix up Cajun and Creole ethnicities. Which it is.
Louisiana Joe says
Anon #2 (how about dropping a name, people?), do a little online research and you’ll see that you’re incorrect. Plain and simple.
Dan's Quest for Food says
If ya knew what you were talking about you’d be dangerous. Just because you were told something growing up doesn’t make it accurate. Per Amity DuPeuple of The Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition:
“Grits and grillades is one of those old Creole dishes that simmers in the background of New Orleans cuisine lore. All over town during Queen breakfasts and Fat Tuesday, medallions of beef, veal or pork, braised in a rich gravy with the trinity, tomatoes and beef broth, are ladled over grits.
The boeuf gras, or fatted bull, is a very old symbol from French Carnival, representing the fast. From the early 1800’s until 1909, the Rex organization led a live animal through the streets on Fat Tuesday. By then, grillades, or “Fried Meat a la Creole,” were recognized as one of the “famous, relishable and most digestible dishes,” according to the 1901 edition of The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book. The recipe for Grillades with Gravy, made with tomato and onion, “is very nice served with hominy, or with red or white beans and rice at dinner.”
Being wrong wouldn’t have made so many angry if you hadn’t resorted to being anonymous yourself yet indulging in name-calling and the sin of run-on exclaimation points.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Dan :)
Michele says
I completely agree. I grew up in Lafayette, and would like to say that first of all, she has her southern regions completely mixed up. NO one from south Louisiana would ever walk around saying things like “shut my mouth, darn tootin or ain’t that the berries”, much less call this dish grillades and grits. How ignorant and insulting. As to the origins of the dish, I will refer to a leading authority on Cajun and Creole cuisine, Chef John Folse who stated “The origin of grillades has been the subject of many arguments in Bayou Country. It is believed that the dish originated when the country butchers preparing the boucherie sliced thin pieces of fresh pork and pan-fried these with sliced onions. The cooking took place, most feel, in black iron pots over the boucherie fires. The grillades were then eaten over grits or rice throughout the day. Today, grillades and grits are a tradition on many Sunday brunch menus. Most recipes call for veal round pounded lightly and smothered in its natural juices. One of the things I find most interesting about grillades is that it is one of those dishes that has a place on all rungs of the social ladder. Grillades may be found on the sharecropper’s breakfast table or on the grand buffets of New Orleans.” The traditional meat remains pork. Essentially, it was born in southern Louisiana, and unless you’re from that region, or a real expert, better to stay out of the debate. And refrain from using colloquialisms that aren’t attributable to those peoples.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
What in John Folse’s statement contradicts my own? Yes, pork is used. But beef (whether young – aka veal – or mature) is the most conventional, something John Folse and other leading experts on Cajun and Creole cuisine agree on. I’m not sure what the argument is here. And come now, make the choice not be to be insulted by what is obviously meant to be nothing more than good-spirited humor.
Michael says
sorry you have had to endure all this silly madness. Thanks for sharing a “Louisiana” classic. I hope we can all agree on that. Cheers
Frank says
As a former Louisiana cook, the first distinct you learn is Creole has tomatoes and Cajun does. Just one of many distinctions but almost alway true. French New Orleans vs Cajun country.
Marilyn Cunningham says
Proud to say I was born and rasied in Bogalusa, Louisiana never heard of this particular receipe, combining cooked beef in gravy over grits, we loved grits for whatever meal my grandmother served them, so creole, Cajun its a receipe worth trying. Thank-You Daring Gourmeylt
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Marilyn, I think you’ll really enjoy this classic recipe!
Anne says
Sounds wonderful but not a big meat eater no offense, just have never like meat. I am going to try the veggies over the grits and think it will make a lip smacking meal.
Constance says
Please just enjoy the recipe! I’m Creole and it don’t matter where it came from, it’s so good. Thanks for the wonderful recipe
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Constance, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
M. Bergeron says
Ah, mais yeah, dat’s some good stuff! Seriously, grillades and grits are, by this Cajun’s opinion and taste buds, all things Creole. But, who should argue it, really? All those in this thread worrying about it need to just eat it. It’s just good Bayou cooking. Or NOLA cooking Or Creole cooking. Whatever. Like most cooks of the country (and world), we all have our little tweaks to the regional recipes (red jambalaya, brown jambalaya, gumbo, etc). I make my grillades and grits much like this, except no olive oil, rather bacon grease or peanut oil. BTW, my roots are Bayou Lafourche. If that matters.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So true, M. Bergeron. And I won’t argue the use of bacon grease, it makes everything taste at least ten times better! :)
Coneigh says
Creole, or Cajun, version of Swiss Steak. Love both.
linda lewis says
This was my first dish to try at home after spending time in the French Quarter. Loved it there, and love it when I make it, for the last 30 years. So no expert, and no internet at the time to search different recipes. I purchased a small New Orleans cookbook to learn to make it, so I am definitely no expert. Everyone in my family just loves it so I am making it this Christmas Eve, our main meal will be Christmas day. I make it basically this same way, except after I dredge steak in flour and spices, I pound it both sides with a mallet to tenderize it. Then cook and add the other ingredients. So tender and flavorful! I did think it was a Creole dish. Tonight I will make some bone broth to use in it for the first time.
cooper says
My mom always put red wine in her Grillades. We never used pork either. Always served it over yellow grits or cheese grits. I grew up in New Orleans. Like many South Louisiana Dishes there is a Creole version and a Cajun version I am sure. Creole Jambalaya and Gumbo have tomatoes while Cajun is more of a brown dish. All use traditional rouxs. All are good.
Bob Sanders says
Having had a place in the Quarter for 11 years and having had this wonderful dish numerous times, I say let the good times roll and enjoy however you like it. I change up the ingredients to get different taste to experiment. Always good with pork or beef (normally chuck roast) because of the favor. Overall love NOLA food.
Anonymous says
I live in Uptown NOLA. My Family has been in NOLA since the City was born, literally 300 years. Everyone has there own version of Grillades. You can walk up my block and everyone will tell you their nuances, be it Cajun, Creole, French, Italian or African American. When I grew up, my Mom made Griallades with the cheapest beef available. When I would be getting dressed for school, she was already pounding the you know what out of it with a tenderizing mallet. And my Mom never once served Grillades with grits, but always with white rice, browned with butter, sprinkled with a little pepper. When growing up, my Dad liked the taste of onion, tomato, etc., but hated the texture. So my Mom would caramelize the heck out the vegetables and cook them down. My Mom made the best Grillades I’ve ever had.
Anonymous says
Excuse me people ,I don’t know who made what or when ?I was looking for a different way to, cook grits.I’ve only have had them a few times in my life but I love them.Just looking for another way to enjoy them.I know wwhat roux is but if you just say that most people would not know took me years of cooking to get this term thanks for the recipe can’t wait to make it.
Cher Gautreaux Baum says
Goodness! Can’t we all just get along?! I’m of Cajun heritage & our family always used pork, no tomato. Not everyone knows what a roux is either! When people sort of mix up the cultures, I just politely explain the differences. Y’all don’t need to get hateful & rude about! Miss Kimberly, you did a fine job explaining this Creole version of Grillades & grits! I hope you don’t think all of us from southwest Louisiana (aka Cajun country) are rude! And most of us actually have a sense of humor! Thanks for a great article. I hope you have a blessed day, cher!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I couldn’t agree more, Cher, thank you. Let’s just pull up a chair and enjoy a good meal!
Heinz S. says
Recipe looks great, will make it with Beef, Pork and Veal, might even try boneless Chicken Thigh. Variety is the spice of life. Not fond of Grits, will be using Beans & Rice instead.
Doing a great job Kimberly, keep on cooki’n!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Heinz, happy cooking! :)
Sara says
I’m also on the Gulf Coast, and the main feature of our cuisine is that nothing is “correct.” Every town and even neighborhood or family has its own version of these dishes whose origins are often unknown. Pedantic point: Polenta is definitely NOT GRITS! Grits are made from hominy, which is a specially processed form of white corn. Polenta is made from ground yellow corn–basically corn meal. Big difference.
Pat V. says
This dish is heaven on earth! I was born in Lafayette. Didn’t live there long, but Cajun is in my blood and love all things Cajun! I happen to make this with beef and it is truly amazing! Most Cajun dishes have their own variations and I think finding a “true” original recipe would be impossible. Beef or pork, Cajun or Creole, Grits & Grillades or Grillades & grits, doesn’t really matter. Being kind and showing our Southern hospitality is more important than any of these. Thank you for a truly wonderful recipe! God bless.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Pat, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it! I appreciate the feedback and agree with your sentiments. God bless, Kimberly
Ganesha and Gary says
My family made this with whatever meat we had or what was on sale. I didn’t like grits so my Mom always made white rice. Sometimes we would make this with moque choux….. thanks for sharing! 😊