Well, shut my mouth! Is that New Orleans Grillades and Grits? Darn tootin’ it is! 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. Grits are something we’re already familiar with here at The Daring Gourmet…do you recall some of my previous posts on polenta? Polenta is the Italian name for what the Southerners call Grits. Not quite as fancy sounding, but pretty much the same thing. And every bit as good.
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 do come mosey on over to The Daring Gourmet’s Facebook Page and connect with me there! Would love to have y’all on board!
* 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
- 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.
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!
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!
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.
It’s definitely worth making! Thanks for bringing my attention to the broken link – it’s now fixed.
How do you think beef cheeks would do in this recipe?
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.
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!!!!!! 🙂
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! 🙂
Beats the beignets out of cherios for breakfast that is
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Anon #2 (how about dropping a name, people?), do a little online research and you’ll see that you’re incorrect. Plain and simple.
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.
Thanks, Dan 🙂
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
Thank you, Marilyn, I think you’ll really enjoy this classic recipe!