Grillades (*gree-AHDS*) and grits — thin rounds of beef or veal, braised in a dark, tomato-based Creole gravy until falling-apart tender, served over stone-ground grits — is the Creole brunch dish that locals eat while tourists eat beignets. The name comes from the French *griller* (to grill), but the technique is pure braise: the meat is browned, the gravy is built, and the covered pot does its work for 60-90 minutes. The dish appears on every New Orleans brunch table and is one of the few Louisiana dishes that uses veal (round, cut thin and pounded — the same cheap-cut economy as Cajun seven steaks in LA3-06). Grillades and grits for brunch, preceded by a Milk Punch, is the Creole morning at its most unreconstructed.
Thin rounds (1cm thick) of beef or veal round, pounded thinner, browned hard in a cast-iron pot, then braised in a dark, roux-thickened tomato sauce with the trinity, garlic, cayenne, thyme, and bay until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat the grits beneath. The grits should be stone-ground, cooked slowly with cream or milk, buttered, and spread on the plate as a base. The grillades and their gravy are ladled over. The plate should be dark red from the gravy with white grits visible at the edges.
Grillades and grits is the centrepiece brunch dish. It is preceded by a cocktail (Brandy Milk Punch, see LA2-14, or a Sazerac) and followed by something sweet (beignets, bread pudding, pralines). Hot sauce on the table. French bread on the side for the gravy. Strong coffee throughout.
1) The meat is pounded thin — 5mm or less. The thin cut allows the braising sauce to penetrate completely, and the relatively short braising time (60-90 minutes for pounded rounds vs. 3+ hours for a full roast) makes this a practical brunch-day dish. 2) Brown the meat aggressively before braising. Each round should have a deep Maillard crust on both surfaces. Sear in batches — overcrowding steams. The fond from the searing becomes the first layer of the gravy. 3) The gravy is a Creole sauce (see LA2-01) built in the same pot: roux (medium), trinity, garlic, tomato, stock, cayenne, thyme, bay. The browned meat goes back into this sauce, the lid goes on, and the covered pot does the work. 4) Grits must be stone-ground and cooked slowly — minimum 30-40 minutes, stirring regularly. Quick grits and instant grits are different products entirely. Stone-ground grits have texture, corn flavour, and the structural body to hold the gravy.
Grillades can be made the day before and reheated — the braise improves overnight. The grits must be made fresh. This allows a brunch host to do the heavy work on Saturday and cook only the grits on Sunday morning. Veal is the traditional protein but beef round is more common now and less expensive. The technique is identical. Pork round works too, though it's non-traditional. A poached egg on top of the grillades and grits — the yolk breaking into the gravy — is the luxury version that some New Orleans restaurants serve. The egg is not traditional but it is magnificent.
Using tender cuts — tenderloin or strip steak don't need braising and produce a different (and less interesting) result. The point of grillades is the transformation of a tough cut into something tender through the covered braise. Thin, watery gravy — the gravy must be thick enough to sit on top of the grits without pooling. If it runs, reduce it before adding the meat back. Instant grits — the texture is uniform paste. Stone-ground grits have individual particles of corn that provide texture against the soft, braised meat and thick gravy.
John Folse — Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine; Tom Fitzmorris — New Orleans Food; Leah Chase — The Dooky Chase Cookbook