January, and it’s as cold as can be out there. Today, for some reason, I thought about a dish that I have not made in years. Grillades and Creamy Grits!  A dish that is usually served farther South in New Orleans, it is heart-warming and tummy filling. It will sure make you feel warm on a cold winter night in South Carolina.

The original recipe for grillades is steak, but I by-passed the tenderizing process by using cube steak. It has already been tenderized. This was the idea of Joyce Logan. She and her husband Jim, an attorney in Anderson, SC, were faithful attendees of my cooking classes at Judy Booker’s Kitchen Emporium. Joyce died of cancer years ago, and I always think of her when I’m making this dish. She was a lovely and sweet friend.

The recipe is below, and if you don’t have the fresh ingredients called for in the recipe, it is so easy to substitute dried ingredients from your pantry. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did tonight.

Grillades

6 small single servings of cube steaks (about 5 ounces each)

2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/2 cup oil, divided

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 large sweet onion

1/2 large green pepper

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped celery

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 chopped fresh parsley or 1/8 cup dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme or two sprigs fresh thyme sprigs

1 cup beef broth (I always keep Better than Beef Bouillon in my fridge and mix 1 teaspoon with 1 cup water instead of beef broth)

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion (I used Del Monte)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper both side of the cube steaks. Heat 5 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven. Fry cube steaks in the hot oil until brown on each side.  Do this in batches if necessary. Take the cube steaks out and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the Dutch oven. Add the flour, scraping the pan. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly so the flour does not burn. Stir in the chopped onions, peppers, celery, garlic, parsley and thyme. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly,  until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, sugar and bay leaves. Add the cube steak back into the liquid and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Stir often so that steak does not stick to the pan. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Serve over creamy grits, recipe below.

Creamy Grits

3 1/2 cups water

1/2 salt

1 cup stone ground grits (I used a brand called, Charleston’s Own, natural grits. This is a finer texture than the very large stone ground grits)

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese (use your favorite cheese)

Bring water and salt to a boil and whisk in grits. Bring back to a boil, cover and turn heat down to low.

Cook for 10 minutes. Add heavy cream and continue to cook, stirring often. Check the grits during the last 25 to 30 minutes for salt, and adding it to taste. Taste during this time to make sure the grits are creamy and not gritty. You will know the difference. When ready, add the cheeses. Cover and let sit another 5 minutes before serving. This will make the grits even creamier.

When ready to serve, divide grits among six serving bowls. Top each serving with  steak and gravy. Serve with a  salad of mixed baby greens with Italian Reserve Dressing, and French bread. Stay warm my friends.