New Orleans Cuisine - Grillades and Grits

This is a terrific, hearty meal that is generally eaten at breakfast or brunch in New Orleans, I like it for a Sunday evening meal. Grillades (pronounced GREE-yahds) are made with Round Steak, of Beef or Veal, although you could use pork. This dish like many other greats from New Orleans, comes from meager times, when a piece of meat needed to be stretched to feed a whole family. A Grillade is a square of meat cut from the Round Steak, or whichever piece of meat that you've chosen. I love to take an inexpensive, tough cut of meat, and turn it into something spectacular! Round Steak is a powerhouse of flavor, that with some time and tenderness will be tender and mouthwatering.
Grits have never really caught on with most Yankees, I don't understand this because a lot of folks go crazy over Polenta, which is basically a yellow version of Grits. I personally think it's all about the name; Polenta flows from the tongue, while the word Grits comes from your mouth like a shotgun blast! This dish will also go nicely with Boiled Rice, but please try it with the Grits, they take on the flavor of the sauce in a really nice, creamy way. I prefer the longer cooking Grits, sometimes called Old Fashioned, which are a little bit harder to find up north as opposed to the instant variety. If you're not crazy about just plain old Grits, get fancy and serve this alongside Caryn's Gorgonzola Grit Cakes from Delicious! Delicious!.

New Orleans Cuisine Recipe - Grillades & Grits

2 lbs Round Steak
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne Pepper
½ Cup Flour seasoned
2 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Medium Onions, Julienned
1 Red Bell Pepper, Julienned
2 Ribs Celery, Julienned
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
2 Cups Beef Stock
3 Tbsp Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
2 Cups Tomatoes, Chopped
2 Fresh Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
Crystal Hot Sauce to taste
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch (whisked together with 1 Tablespoon Water)
1/4 cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Green Onions, thinly sliced on the bias
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Recipe of Grits made according to the Package Instructions

Pound the Round Steak on both sides to about ½ inch thickness, then cut into 4 inch squares. Season the grillades with the salt & cayenne pepper. Combine the flour and Creole Seasoning, dip the Grillades one at a time into the seasoned flour and shake off any excess. In a cast iron dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until very hot, but not smoking. Brown the Grillades well on both sides without burning. Transfer the Grillades to a plate. Drain off the vegetable oil and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the Onions, Bell Pepper, Celery, and Garlic and, stirring frequently, cook until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Stir in the Beef Stock, Wprcestershire, Tomatoes, and Bay Leaves; bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Return the Grillades and the accumulated juice from the plate back to the pot. Submerge the Grillades in the sauce and simmer for about 1 ½ hours or until they're very tender. When the Grillades are tender remove them to a plate and bring the sauce to a boil. Add the corn starch mixture and whisk until the sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in the parsley, 1/4 cup of the green onions, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, and salt & pepper. Mound the Grits on 4 heated plates and divide the steaks on top of the Grits. Pour the sauce over the Grillades & Grits, top with the remaining Green Onions and serve immediately.

Serves 4