How to Make Authentic (and Awesome) Grits
Grits can be terrific or terrible, depending on how you fix ’em
If you’ve seen the Oscar-winning, and hilarious, 1992 comedy My Cousin Vinny, you know the plot ends up turning on the question of how long it takes grits to cook. (That’s not a spoiler, by the way.) If you’re not from the South, though, you may not know this is actually a very serious question, not just Hollywood poking fun at a stereotype.
Whenever I hear someone say they hate grits, I ask if the grits they had could stay in one place on a plate, like mashed potatoes. No? OK, that’s your problem right there.
Grits made right are awesome. Made wrong, they’re awful. Let’s take a look at what grits are and how to make them as God intended.
What is a grit, anyway?
Grits are corn. It’s not really any more complicated than that. But whether you’re going to get a dish with any real corn flavor to it depends on how the corn is prepared. Your three basic variables here are whether the whole kernel is used, how finely the corn is ground, and if it’s pre-cooked or raw.
Let’s take a look at how these variables play out in the varieties of grits you’ll find at the store….
