New Orleans Grillades Recipes

NEW ORLEANS GRILLADES AND GRITS

Steps:

• Combine the 1/2 cup flour, salt and one teaspoon of Creole Seasoning in a shallow bowl. Dredge the pieces of beef in the flour, shaking off the excess and transfer to a large plate.
• Heat the oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Place the beef in the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd, and fry on both sides until browned. Transfer the beef to a plate.
• Saute the onions in the skillet until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the bell pepper and celery and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and saute for another 4-5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
• Melt the 5 tablespoons of butter or olive in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the 1/3 cup flour and whisk constantly until the mixture is a rich brown, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and red wine vinegar, whisking continually until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
• Return the vegetables to the skillet and add the Creole Seasoning and bay leaves. Return the beef to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally.Stir in the parsley and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves.
• Serve the grillades and gravy ladled over hot grits (see below).
• For the Grits: In a 5-quart pot over medium-high heat, bring the milk and salt to a simmer, stirring regularly to prevent the milk from burning.
• Slowly add the grits in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the grits are thick and tender.

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE GRITS AND GRILLADES

Steps:

• Cut tenderloin into 12 cutlets, place each between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet until very thin, about 1/8 inch. In a small dish, mix 1 cup of the flour with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Lightly dust each cutlet on both sides, set aside on a plate. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and sauté cutlets in batches of 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute on each side. Repeat with remaining oil and cutlets. In same skillet, cook bacon. Transfer bacon to a paper-lined plate, keeping bacon fat in skillet. Reduce heat, whisk in remaining flour. Simmer and stir continuously until roux becomes light brown, about 10 minutes. Add bell peppers, onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Carefully whisk in remaining salt and pepper, Creole spice, cumin, paprika and bay leaves. Next, whisk in stock and tomato. Bring sauce to a simmer, and cook on low for 10 minutes, skimming off excess fat. Strain sauce through a sieve and then return to skillet; warm pork cutlets in sauce.
• Make the Grits: Scald milk (skin forms on top). Whisk in grits and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, whisking again now and then. Whisk in butter, cream, salt and pepper. Cover and remove from heat. It will stay hot for about 15 or 20 minutes, covered.

BEEF GRILLADES WITH CHEESY FRESH CORN AND SWEET ONION GRITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the grillades: Cut the steak in half. Sandwich each half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper, and pound to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Sprinkle the steak on both sides with salt and pepper, and cut into 2-inch pieces.
• Mix the paprika, New Mexican chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and chile de arbol powder in a small bowl until combined. Put the flour in a shallow baking dish and season it with salt and pepper.
• Heat the butter and canola oil in a large, high-sided saute pan over high heat. Working in batches, coat the steak pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess, and brown them on both sides in the hot fat. Transfer the steak to a plate as you finish each batch. Add the onions, poblano and red pepper to the pan, adding more oil if needed, and cook until the vegetables are very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Return the beef to the pan, cover and transfer to the oven to cook until tender, about 45 minutes.
• When done, remove the beef to a plate and cover to keep warm. Using potholders, move the pan to the stovetop and set over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened into a gravy, about10 minutes. Season with a splash of vinegar. Add honey, salt and pepper to taste; stir in the parsley. Before serving, return the grillades to the pan, cover and warm them up over medium-low heat.
• For the grits: Heat the butter and canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Add the milk and 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits until well combined and continue whisking until smooth. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and smooth, about 45 minutes; add more water as needed to keep the mixture creamy. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the cheddar and Parmesan and the green onions.
• To serve: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the grillades to a shallow platter. Pour over some of the gravy. Top with the grits, poached eggs if using, and some of the remaining gravy. Garnish with green onions and parsley.

GRILLADES AND GRITS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the beef and veal together. Season the meat with Essence. Add the flour and toss the meat completely. Turn the meat out onto a floured surface and with meat mallet, lightly pound the meat. Turn the meat over and lightly pound the meat again. In a large cast-iron pot, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the meat. Brown the meat evenly on both sides for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery. Season with salt and cayenne. Continue stirring, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, oregano, basil, broth and wine. Season with salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Bring the liquid to a simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Remove the bay leaves and serve with baked cheese grits.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

GRILLADES

Steps:

• Season beef cubes with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
• Dust beef with 1/3 cup flour and toss lightly to coat.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot oil until evenly browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Remove beef with slotted spoon; transfer to a bowl.
• Stir bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic into the oil left in the pot; cook and stir until vegetables are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and add to the bowl of beef. Drain oil, reserving about 3 tablespoons in the pot. Reduce heat to low.
• Gradually whisk 1/4 cup flour into the reserved oil until you achieve a dark golden-brown roux, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir constantly and watch carefully; roux burns easily.
• Slowly pour beef broth into the roux while stirring; bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
• Return the beef and vegetables to the pot. Add bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, basil, tomatoes with green chiles, and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves and stir in chopped parsley to serve.

PORK GRILLADES AND GRITS

Steps:

• Lightly pound pork slices with a mallet. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning, and then dust in flour. Heat oil over high heat in a large Dutch oven and brown pork on both sides, in batches, for about 2 minutes per side. After browning, reserve. When pork has all been browned, discard excess oil.
• Heat chicken fat or butter over medium heat in Dutch oven and slowly whisk in 3 cups flour to make a roux the consistency of wet sand. Brown roux, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes. Add onions, peppers, celery, garlic, Herbs de Provence, bay leaves and crushed tomatoes, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add stock and salt, stir, and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 30 minutes. Return pork to Dutch oven and simmer over medium low heat for 2 hours, until meat is very tender.
• While pork is cooking, bring a gallon of water to boil in a large pot and whisk in grits. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes, whisking often to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to low and cook grits for 1 1/2 hours more, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, fold in butter, and season with salt.
• Season pork to taste and serve over grits.