Cheese Grits

[Betts]

Now I know that there are Southerners who are raised on cheese grits but I am a middle aged Canuck transplanted to Minnesota who only tonight first tasted cheese grits.

Who knew cheese grits had the texture of a slightly fallen souffle, an intense cheese savoriness with a moderate hit of cayenne heat? It crossed my mind to take the dish off the buffet and put it right in front of me. Thank goodness I had my back to it!

Is this always the case or was this a sublime experience? If I got cheese grits at a restaurant in the south would I reasonably expect the same thing?

[andiesenji]

Cheese grits come in many flavors and many consistancies.

There are a couple of pretty grits cookbooks, Gone With The Grits is a small one that has a lot of really good recipes.

I can't eat shrimp but have a friend who loves shrimp and grits so I fix them.

My favorite is grits mixed with cooked rice and very sharp grated cheese then dolloped onto a griddle and crusted on each side.

[dlc]

Cheese grits are a staple all over the south in many guises. It sounds like you had the souffle version. Beaten eggwhites are added to the cooked grits and cheese and then baked. I think that there is a thread here just on cheese grits and I will try to search later and post it. Ben Barker in his Not Afraid of Taste (will pst amazon link) adds roasted garlic puree. WOW

[bleudauvergne]

We used to have this at home a lot. Nothing better than cheese grits made with New York State XXXsharp Cheddar!

I know it sounds odd but I grew up in a southern family that had moved to central New York.

Edited May 5, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[ElfWorks]

i recently had a yankee friend demand to let him make me cheese grits,which i dearly love. this was three months ago. i think i am still digesting the velveeta.

that aint cheese grits, folks!

xo

[phaelon56]

We used to have this at home a lot. Nothing better than cheese grits made with New York State XXXsharp Cheddar!

I know it sounds odd but I grew up in a southern family that had moved to central New York.

Not so odd at all. I may have to try this at home as I just acquired some NY State xxxxxxxsharp cheddar (not a typo - that is 7 x's). I've had a couple different GF's who made cheese grits but always on the stovetop - never anything souffle style and there was never any heat (i.e. no cayenne).

The most sublime breakfast I have ever eaten was at Blue Heaven in Key West FL: white grits with sharp Vermont cheddar and fresh gulf shrimp. It was better than very good - the cafe con leche ain't bad either

[KHT20]

i recently had a yankee friend demand to let him make me cheese grits,which i dearly love. this was three months ago. i think i am still digesting the velveeta.

that aint cheese grits, folks!

xo

After reading this thread, I was inspired to make cheese grits for dinner last night (my own Yankee BF had no idea what "cheese grits" were). The recipe on the box called for lots and lots of Velveeta. Yuck! Luckily, the Dinosaur BBQ cookbook had a great recipe using lots of extra sharp cheddar and jalapenos. Sooooo good

[bbq4meanytime]

I love adding cheese to my grits. My latest combo: half sharp cheddar and half bleu cheese.

But you really have to use stone ground grits to get the full effect of good cheesy grits, none of that instant or quick cooking stuff.

[Mayhaw Man]

I have them about once a week. They are easy to cook and everybody at my house loves them.

And as with almost all foods of this sort, they are great when cut into squares and browned in a little butter for breakfast the next morning. Nice and crunchy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside.

I will put a recipe in recipe gullet when I get home.

[windydaze]

I was born in Tennessee and have had my fair share of grits, cheese and otherwise. But the best cheese grits I have ever had was at Bubby's in New York City last year. Perfect combination of cheese and grits that was so smooth and creamy it could have been a pudding. Yum!

[Dave the Cook]

All of this sounded awfully familiar. So I rummaged around on my desk, until I found this link under the coffee-stained copy of a UNIX glossary:

Maggie gets grits.

Some great tips in there.

[NulloModo]

While speaking of grits, does anyone have any experience with Soy Grits?

[naguere]

Are grits similar to maize meal, used for polenta?

[andiesenji]

I love adding cheese to my grits. My latest combo: half sharp cheddar and half bleu cheese.

But you really have to use stone ground grits to get the full effect of good cheesy grits, none of that instant or quick cooking stuff.

I buy the Bob's Red Mill brand Coarse, Medium and Fine grits or cornmeal and mix the three together. Most health food stores carry the full line of Bob's Red Mill products and they are excellent.

I use this mixture for cornbread, grits (or polenta) as is or molded in a loaf pan, chilled and fried.

This is the next best thing to grinding my own.

I do a lot of baking and have a Whisper Mill which I regularly use for grinding wheat, oats, etc.

The problem is finding the dried corn for grinding. I have a cousin in Kentucky that can sometimes be coerced into sending me a 10-pound bag but not often.

I did find a Native American store in New Mexico that shipped corn and other products. However their site went down several months back and I have not been able to make contact.

[naguere]

I use this mixture for cornbread, grits (or polenta)

Thanks andiesenji

Now I know

[andiesenji]

While speaking of grits, does anyone have any experience with Soy Grits?

Just once. It was enough to put me off them forever.

Actually I think they were old and rancid, but the taste and odor really was offensive.

I do like some soy products. I make a pressed and barbecued tofu marinated in teriyaki which is pretty good. I like stir fried tofu in some dishes.

[rancho_gordo]

Are grits similar to maize meal, used for polenta?

My understanding is

hominy = pozole = grits (when ground). The skin of the corn is removed by being soaked in lime water (mineral, not citrus) or wood ash.

cornmeal = mush = polenta

with variious sizes, fine to coarse.

I would love to be corrected if I have this wrong.

[phaelon56]

The grits I've typicaly seen and been served in restaurants (and people's homes) are white grits - I believe they are also called hominy grits. Once, while dining on an Amtrak train, I was served what the waiter referred to as "yellow grits". It had much more flavor and was more like a runny polenta (which I believe is what it is). My local Italian market sells three grades of golden durum wheat flour. The one that's about the same granularity as cornmeal is labeled as "semolina", the extra fine variety that I use in my pizza dough is is labeled as "golden durum flour", and there's a third bin labeled "Polenta" but I haven't looked at that one to see what the texture is. I was in an airport gift shop down south somewhere lastyear and found a bag of "yellow grits". Haven't tried it yet but this thread has inspired me to do so.

[dlc]

IMHO Anson Mills in SC has the best grits available. here

[andiesenji]

The grits I've typicaly seen and been served in restaurants (and people's homes) are white grits - I believe they are also called hominy grits. Once, while dining on an Amtrak train, I was served what the waiter referred to as "yellow grits". It had much more flavor and was more like a runny polenta (which I believe is what it is). My local Italian market sells three grades of golden durum wheat flour. The one that's about the same granularity as cornmeal is labeled as "semolina", the extra fine variety that I use in my pizza dough is is labeled as "golden durum flour", and there's a third bin labeled "Polenta" but I haven't looked at that one to see what the texture is. I was in an airport gift shop down south somewhere lastyear and found a bag of "yellow grits". Haven't tried it yet but this thread has inspired me to do so.

For some reason many people in the south consider white grits the "only" real grits.

Where I grew up in Kentucky many referred to the yellow grits or cornmeal as "horse corn" or "Indian corn" or even "mash corn" as it was favored by the rural folk who cooked their own "spirited beverages".

I like the flavor of the yellow corn meal (the good stuff, not the one from the supermarket) much better than white, unless I can get dried "shoepeg" white corn and grind it myself. It is very sweet.

I think it all depends on your personal preference.

Polenta is always yellow, never white.

[ruthcooks]

I'm not fond of cheese grits as cooked on the stovetop, much prefer the baked souffle type. Brooks said he would post his, but I can't find it on RecipeGullet. If it's on there, let me know or else I'll post my recipe.

(Edited to say: Reads like a threat, doesn't it?)

Edited May 6, 2004 by ruthcooks (log)

[Mayhaw Man]

I'm not fond of cheese grits as cooked on the stovetop, much prefer the baked souffle type. Brooks said he would post his, but I can't find it on RecipeGullet. If it's on there, let me know or else I'll post my recipe.

(Edited to say: Reads like a threat, doesn't it?)

I haven't gone home yet. They are baked incidentally, so at least I will not have to take any more abuse on that point.

And post your recipe anyway. Choice is a good thing.

[bbq4meanytime]

Are grits similar to maize meal, used for polenta?

My understanding is

hominy = pozole = grits (when ground). The skin of the corn is removed by being soaked in lime water (mineral, not citrus) or wood ash.

cornmeal = mush = polenta

with variious sizes, fine to coarse.

I would love to be corrected if I have this wrong.

I just add to clarify:

Hominy Grits are grits is made from hominy as you describe it. The dried kernels are then ground into grits (the finer grind is how masa flour is made-ie for tortillas).

"Southern" Grits: Dried ground corn, ground coarsely or medium coarse. The finer grind makes cornmeal. Grits are tradtionally white because of the type of corn ground (white), but you can get yellow artisan grits, ground from yellow corn. Cornmeal is typically ground from yellow corn. But as you might guess, you can get it white or even blue from some artisan mills.

Polenta: yellow dried corn ground fine (ie cornmeal).

[rancho_gordo]

Oye vey or Aye yi yi!

Hominy Grits are grits is made from hominy as you describe it.

bbq4meanytime, does this mean there are two types of grits? Hominy and Southern? And the Southern is just cornmeal? How does it differ from mush, or does it? You have to excuse me- I'm an old Yanqui who is confused about so much these days and the more learn, the more I forget.

It's funny, I like all hominy EXCEPT the yellow canned. I prefer them all "fresh" but the yellow canned to me is inedible, like rubber.

The dried kernels are then ground into grits (the finer grind is how masa flour is made-ie for tortillas).

That's to make masa harina but a real tortilleria (like, er, Rancho Gordo) would use fresh masa. They soak the corn in wood ash, remove the skin, grind the wet corn and that's masa. It's not reconstituted from the powder. The problem is the masa goes sour pretty fast so for homes without access to fresh masa, the masa harina is a "make-do" thing.

But as you might guess, you can get it white or even blue from some artisan mills.

I'm working with a farmer who is going to have Red Osage hominy for me within a few weeks. I am very excited! The taste is more like a grain than corn.

[phaelon56]

I was inspired enough by this thread to dig up the bage I had long ago put in the cupboard without ever opening it. The label says "Callaway Farms Speckled Heart Whole Grain Stone Ground Grits". I won't tell ya how long these have been in the cupboard (I'm thinking it's more than 2 - 3 years) but they've been wrapped tight in plastic and the original paper bag had not been opened. They smelled okay and there were not critters in them. 25 minutes later with a bit of coarse salt and a dab of butter cooked in, I tossed in some 5X NY state cheddar (saving the 7X for straight gnawing). Wow.... these were incredible. I'm sure they'd be better if fresher but they're so much better than supermarket grits are here in the northeast (the regular cooking kind - not the quick ones). I made darn sure to have enough left to cut 'em up and fry tomorrow or on the weekend