OT - Hey Southerners! What's Up With Grits?

Fred19Flintstone

Wilma made grits this morning and they were pretty bland.  It struck me that southerners are really attached to grits and I can't understand why.  How are they doctored up to make them irresistible?  Or is it "a southern thing" us northerners wouldn't understand?  Confession time: Wilma's grits were instant which I gather could be a cardinal sin south of the Mason-Dixon. 

How do you fix your grits? 

Eggcelsior

Throw away the instant crap and get real grits.

Season as you like.

Butter, cheese, salt, pepper, sugar... Anything.

TexanOfTheNorth

Yeah, instant grits may have been part of your problem.

I like mine with black pepper and some tabasco sauce. If you've got red-eye gravy you could put some of that on them.

Texansurf

Butter lots of butter...

 

Eggcelsior

If I am having grits with breakfast, I add a pad of butter with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Sunny side up eggs with toast and hot sauce. Break yolks and scoop everything with the toast.

Heaven on earth.

TexanOfTheNorth

Eggcelsior said:

If I am having grits with breakfast, I add a pad of butter with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Sunny side up eggs with toast and hot sauce. Break yolks and scoop everything with the toast. Heaven on earth.

Throw in some fried ham (or sausage or bacon) and I'll be right over!

yzzi

Oatmeal is bland without cinnamon, brown sugar or maple syrup. Grits is just corn without the butter. I'm no expert on grits by any stretch, but the good ones I've had consists of lots of butter. Shrimp and grits is pretty dang good too.

Billy Grill Eggster

We do Grits at the house with Pepper-Jack cheese, curry powder,  cracked pepper, cayenne, touch of garlic and salt to taste.

Skiddymarker

Grits are like rice, in that they are bland by themselves. It must be what you put on them or serve them with that makes the dish. The only way I've had them that they even resembled food was with gravy - no idea if it was red-eye like TOTN suggests. 

TexanOfTheNorth

Skiddymarker said:

Grits are like rice, in that they are bland by themselves. It must be what you put on them or serve them with that makes the dish. The only way I've had them that they even resembled food was with gravy - no idea if it was red-eye like TOTN suggests. 

Doesn't have to be red-eye. If you've fried some ham, bacon or sausage you can make a delicious gravy from that with just some butter, flour, milk and s&p.

SmokeyPitt

Agreed that grits are just a media to contain fats such as butter,cheese, gravy, cream, etc.

NPHuskerFL

Eggcelsior said:

Throw away the instant crap and get real grits.

Season as you like.

Butter, cheese, salt, pepper, sugar... Anything.

@Eggcelsior‌ +3. Instant Grits? Blasphemy! I was born and raised in NE. But, have been in the South now 22 yrs and have developed a fondness for grits and boiled peanuts (not the crap you find in a can). Not to go all Bubba Gump on y'all but, the combinations with homemade grits are endless and I've had them many ways. However a good go to is good ole butter S&P or cheese (pretty basic).

SmokeyPitt

Give this a try...add sharp cheddar as well!

http://www.food.com/recipe/grits-n-greens-casserole-154555

Carolina Q

Since grits taste like nothing, no need to buy any. Just melt some butter and add s&p.

Eggcelsior

Carolina Q said:

Since grits taste like nothing, no need to buy any. Just melt some butter and add s&p.

Your taste buds are shot! First steak, now grits!

johnkitchens

As a lifelong resident of Georgia I can attest that grits prepared properly are very good. The emphasis is on the properly part. 

Instant grits are in no way close to the way real grits taste. I guess it would be like comparing a Mcdonalds burger to the burger you prepare on the egg. 

henapple

Had to

Doc_Eggerton

Cheese and onions, topped with scrambled eggs.

MrCookingNurse

Jalepeno cheese grits would be my favorite. But I also eat them about 3 times a week with butter salt and cheese. Sometimes I crumble my sausage in them.

finster

Stone ground grits. Milk and water in simmering liquid, lots of butter, s and p. THEN, add your flavor profile: cheddar and chive, proscuitto and onion....

Acn

Get yourself some real grits (google McEwen and sons if you need a place online to get them) and then try this:

http://ruhlman.com/2011/11/butter-poached-shrimp-and-grits/

Zmokin

I had grits once in Biloxi.  Don't care for them.  Tasted like soft sand.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Grits are merely the delivery system for the cheese. 1 part grits, 1 part cheese. Then you will know.

Zmokin

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Grits are merely the delivery system for the cheese. 1 part grits, 1 part cheese. Then you will know.

I'ld rather not dilute the cheese.  Well, unless it's a cheese I don't like, but then why bother mixing 2 things I don't like

henapple

Shrimp and cheese grits. ..

flynnbob

I like the real grits that are not runny.  A little butter, a little salt, a little piece of heaven.

Little Steven

I bought some grits yesterday. You just make them like polenta don't you?

Wolfpack

Find a good shrimp and grits recipe with lots of bacon and garlic and you will be blown away- one of the only good things from chapel hill is shrimp and grits from crooks corner. Some of the best around.

TexanOfTheNorth

Little Steven said:

I bought some grits yesterday. You just make them like polenta don't you?

They're said to be the same thing (although I'm not sure that's 100% accurate) so I guess so.

Little Steven

Polenta is yellow and grits are white no?

Troglodyte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYoYPJ5uwFg