Authentic Grillades and Grits
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Look no further for a tried and true authentic Grillades and Grits recipe all the way from New Orleans, Louisiana! Tender beef cutlets are simmered in a rich gravy and served over creamy grits. It’s Southern comfort food at its very best!
What are Grillades and Grits?
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 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.
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 and I’m confident you’re going to love this classic dish as much as we do!
Grillades and Grits Recipe
Let’s get started!
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.
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 to dissolve.
Continue whisking 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.
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.
Enjoy!
For more delicious Southern dishes be sure to try my:
- Shrimp and Grits
- Fried Okra
- Corn Pudding
- Butter Beans
- Andouille and Greens with Cheese Grits
- Sausage Gravy
- Jambalaya
- Boiled Peanuts
- Skillet Cornbread
- Southern Black Eyed Pea Salad
- Fried Catfish
- Chicken Fried Steak Burgers
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!
Authentic Grillades and Grits
Ingredients
- For the Grillades:
- 2 lbs round steak pounded to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 2 inch squares
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon homemade Creole seasoning (click for recipe)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large red bell pepper about 1 cup, diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 2 cups tomatoes diced or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/3 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 homemade Creole seasoning (click for recipe)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- For the Grits:
- 1 cup stone-ground old-fashioned grits not instant
- 5 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine the 1/2 cup 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 1/3 cup 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 tablespoon of 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.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. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the grits are thick and tender.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 26, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Excellent recipe.. the whole family loved it. Two questions though… in Step 7 you say to bring the milk and salt to a simmer. Then in Step 8 you say to add the grits and salt? So, is that 1 tsp split in half (1/2 tsp in each step) or a full 1 tsp each time? Or is “add salt” a redundancy in either Step 7 or 8?
Also, in the photo where you’re melting the butter… that is a lot less than the 5 tablespoons of butter called for in the 1X recipe. Are the photos showing you making a 1/2X batch?
Thank you, Greg, I’m so glad everyone loved it! Yes, the salt is redundant and only added once, thanks for catching that. As for the photos, those were taken over 10 years ago and I honestly can’t remember, but from the look of the quantity of beef it appears that yes, I made 1/2 the batch.
I made this last night and must admit that I was intrigued when I saw ‘grillades’ on Tiana’s menu of her fabulous place in New Orleans, you know the Disney! I looked up grillades and saw this recipe first and thought, “why not?”
I love tastes of the south and figured I’d like this too, after having skimmed the recipe. It did look like it took a while so I thought I’d take a chance and I wasn’t disappointed.
I really liked it over grits but honestly it works with rice too (I’m half-Asian, and eat rice on the daily). It really brings out the flavor of the country when y9ou let it simmer as long as it calls for.
One thing I wished I had done was to pound the round steak a little thinner..I mean, I did but some cuts that were 1/4″ but they still turned out a little less-than as tender as I had imagined. Nothing I am gonnna throw rib-eye into but will be a pounding next time for sure. Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful, John! I’m so thrilled that you made and enjoyed this dish, thank you for the feedback!
I just pounded veal Scallopini so thin it was like smoked salmon.
We’ll beaten egg wash keeps the seasoned breadcrumbs on the quarter inch cutlets
Home skillet seasoned from last night’s fry em ~ smokin hot quick flash fry in the browned butter crumbs n olive oil.
Parmesan Buttered Grits presentation
Eat the crispy veal frites off the top of the creamy parmesan grits with your fingers like bacon
Thank you for telling people to pound the beef. One latge pot is all necessary for this dish. No roux necessary since the flour on the meat makes n instant roux while simmering. Good job though on your technique and time explaining the recipe.
I don’t care what you call this except I know that it is DELICIOUS!! I did quite a bit of researching of different recipes and decided on this one. I used a pork loin roast cut into medallions instead of the beef because that’s what I had on hand. It was spectacular and definitely is something I will keep in my recipes. Served over quick cooking grits because I could not find stone ground in my immediate area. Did make them with milk which made them much creamier than making with water. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
Thank you so much, Glinda! :)
Cana top round roast be used in this recipe?
Yes you can, Kim!
In steps 1 and 4 you fail to mention which measurement of flour you’re referring to. Is step 1 the 1/2 or 1/3 cup? I assumed step 1 was 1/2 cup, while step 4 was 1/3 cup based on their order of appearance in the recipe. Thanks!
Hi Michelle, sorry for the confusion, that is correct – they are used in the order they are listed. I’ve gone ahead and clarified that in the recipe.
We were forwarded this recipe from a friend. We decided to make it for Sunday dinner. My husband spent alot of time in New Orleans while in the military in Near by Mississippi. We liked this very much and found it better than shrimp and grits. Will be adding this to our favorites!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, Melissa, thank you!