Explain Grits to this Northern Girl!

[tarheelmjfan]

As a northerner transplanted in the South for the past 17 years, I agree with the Cream of Wheat comparison. This thread has made me want to go buy some Cream of Wheat. My mom used to make it for us when we were kids, chock full of butter and brown sugar. The first time I had grits was at my husband's Great Aunt's house in Louisiana. I started putting white sugar and butter in it and learned that was blasphemous. Last time I had grits was at the California Grill brunch and it was part of a shrimp dish and had a bit of a kick to it. If you see a Waffle House chain, they offer grits. However, I always replace the grits with the hashbrowns, because hello, amazing hashbrowns!

If you want to put sugar & butter in your grits, go for it. I was born & raised in the south & have had grits w/sugar & butter many times for breakfast. Where I'm from, that's the common way to serve them for breakfast.

 

[bumbershoot]

OP, The Wave has smoked-cheddar grits on their breakfast buffet. Oh and bacon, but I ask them to make some without the bacon.

tbh, I think if you didn't grow up eating grits, you're not likely to ever really like grits.

That’s not even a little bit true.

They kind of remind me of sturdier Cream of Wheat in texture (not taste).

Agreed.

But so good with butter, salt, and pepper.

Same as cream of wheat.

we grew up eating polenta, which is another cornmeal dish that can either be served looser.... like grits....or cooled, sliced and fried. It's similar to grits, but definitely not the same, but it's the closest comparison.

Agreed.

Its packets of flavored wheat semolina.

Those are speciality cream of wheat products. There’s also the original one that you flavor on your own. Likely much better.

One other thing I learned from him, there is no "t" in the middle of "Massachusetts"; he used a firm word about that.

I’m just confused about that statement.

All the polenta Ive had is very firm. You cut it with a knife.

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That is A way to serve it.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

OP, The Wave has smoked-cheddar grits on their breakfast buffet. Oh and bacon, but I ask them to make some without the bacon.



That’s not even a little bit true.



Agreed.



Same as cream of wheat.



Agreed.



Those are speciality cream of wheat products. There’s also the original one that you flavor on your own. Likely much better.



I’m just confused about that statement.



That is A way to serve it.

I've heard people pronounce it as Massatusetts or Massatchuetts rather an Massachusetts.

 

[DISNEY1975]

red eye gravy

Oh great, here come the next question from the north: what's .......

I'm a Yankee who married a southerner and regularly cook and eat:

grits, red eye gravy, biscuits, biscuits and gravy, ham biscuits, johnny cake, corn bread, shrimp and grits and even learned how to clean & peel whole fresh shrimp ... then boil or grill 'em

after growing up on cream of wheat & malt-o-meal

I like my grits with just a healthy splash of Crystal .....

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I was going to ask, but didnt want to show how dumb I really am. The grits question was enough for this week!

So are you saying Red Eye Gravy is hot sauce?

You lost me on Johnny Cake too!

When was the last time you had a fluffernutter? !

 

[Capt_BJ]

So are you saying Red Eye Gravy is hot sauce?

Noooooooooo

You lost me on Johnny Cake too!

And spank a Yankee for sayin this, but you ain't southern . . . For Johnny cake: hint, buy a box of JIFFY corn bread mix and read the box ... all the box

red eye gravy .... when you cook country ham (not regular ham but good COUNTRY ham - there IS a difference) in an iron skillet, once the ham is done you deglaze the pan with black coffee .. picking up all the ham bits and reduce this a wee bit (some add thickener like corn starch but I do not ... keeping it pure) This reduced ham/coffee is 'red eye gravy' and GREAT on southern ham biscuits and grits . . . . .

Red-eye gravy is a thin sauce often seen in the cuisine of the Southern United States and associated with the country ham of that region. Other names for this sauce include poor man's gravy, bird-eye gravy, bottom sop, cedar gravy, and red ham gravy. Wikipedia

Other names for this sauce include poor man's gravy, bird-eye gravy, bottom sop, cedar gravy, and red ham gravy. The gravy is made from the drippings of pan-fried country ham mixed with black coffee.

HOWEVER .. county ham is a southern thing .. you will NOT duplicate with 'regular' breakfast ham. Boarder states will warn folks they don't know (potential Yankees) about the HEAVY SALT in country ham if they order it. . . . when I lived in Norfolk and ate at the same breakfast place OFTEN they always ID'd me as a Yankee from my voice/accent and asked, "country ham, you sure?"

Red eye on grits with some country ham biscuits .... OMG. Don't need no cheese ... maybe a lil Crystal but that's all!!!!

 

[rg35]

um no it is not like boiled cornmeal. I am a Louisiana girl literally a GRITS girl. GRITS is GIRL RAISED IN THE SOUTH and grits are made from hominy-yes it is corn but not- i know that does not help. Boiled corn meal would be more like polenta-which is good also-fried.

As I've already explained elsewhere, what grits is made from is ground corn. That is a type of cornmeal. Cornmeal = any type of ground corn to form a flour, of which there are many types. And I know what hominy is, it's corn treated with alkali. But not all grits need be made from hominy. Hominy grits are simply a subtype of grits.

 

[DISNEY1975]

And spank a Yankee for sayin this, but you ain't southern

Nope...Massachusetts, apparently without a T in the middle ??? !!!!!

 

[NYCgrrl]

I was going to ask, but didnt want to show how dumb I really am. The grits question was enough for this week!

So are you saying Red Eye Gravy is hot sauce?

You lost me on Johnny Cake too!

When was the last time you had a fluffernutter? !

Go visit your southern neighbors in RI You can get the northern version of Johnny cakes there:

https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-nostalgia/rhode-island-jonnycakes/
I'm partial to the thick ones since they remind me of some Caribbean versions (the "true" South) but wouldn't turn my nose up at their thinner brethren.

 

[disney11fan]

Grits is boiled cornmeal.

Sure, things like cheese, onions, bacon, etc., can be added to grits. But at its most basic, "grits" is simply boiled cornmeal.

I think I'm unclear about what your confusion about grits is.

Sounds awlful. Give me home fries or hash browns anyday

 

[karen4546]

As I've already explained elsewhere, what grits is made from is ground corn. That is a type of cornmeal. Cornmeal = any type of ground corn to form a flour, of which there are many types. And I know what hominy is, it's corn treated with alkali. But not all grits need be made from hominy. Hominy grits are simply a subtype of grits.

calm down it is okay-really.

 

[disney11fan]

As I've already explained elsewhere, what grits is made from is ground corn. That is a type of cornmeal. Cornmeal = any type of ground corn to form a flour, of which there are many types. And I know what hominy is, it's corn treated with alkali. But not all grits need be made from hominy. Hominy grits are simply a subtype of grits.

Lol. Sounds like something you can use under your tire if you get stuck in the snow

 

[DISNEY1975]

Go visit your southern neighbors in RI You can get the northern version of Johnny cakes there:

Ive never in my life heard of this, and my sister lives in RI. I go there at least a dozen times per year and eat out every visit.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Lol. Sounds like something you can use under your tire if you get stuck in the snow

HILARIOUS!!

 

[mckennarose]

All the polenta Ive had is very firm. You cut it with a knife.

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My experience is completely the opposite. Growing up, my Italian American grandparents (first generation Americans) made it more like grits, with butter and Romano cheese. I never even knew people cooled, sliced and fried it until I was an adult. My grandmother made it quite often and told us it was a very common dish during the Great Depression, because cornmeal was so cheap. We ate it loose, with the consistency of grits, with tomato sauce and Romano cheese.
I also didn't know what American pizza was....the kind you get in a regular pizza place... until I was around 10 - 12 years old. My grandmother made something more like what you would call "grandma's" or "grandpa's" pizza that you find on menus now. A dough with chopped garlic, fresh tomatoes and Romano cheese and baked. We never had mozzarella cheese on a pizza! My kids all think that's really funny because that's all people think of now as "pizza"!

 

[Moliphino]

I've heard people pronounce it as Massatusetts or Massatchuetts rather an Massachusetts.

I've heard Massachuzetts, which annoys me, but never with a T sound in the middle (I'm from MA).

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I've heard Massachuzetts, which annoys me, but never with a T sound in the middle (I'm from MA).

I'm from the south. Adding the T isn't uncommon. It's simply a matter of different accents.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Im from MA and recently learned Ive been pronouncing Nevada incorrectly my whole life!! I was told the first A is pronouced like the A in apple. Ive been saying it like the A in "Ma" (short for mother)

 

[Truxi]

-whups-

 

[scot@dvcstore]

One of my favorite meals is cheese grits with grilled shrimp. Often includes bacon and scallions

 

[BrianL]

Ive never in my life heard of this, and my sister lives in RI. I go there at least a dozen times per year and eat out every visit.

That's odd. Johnny Cakes are such a Rhode Island thing. I was born there. In the south nobody has heard of them.