Grits

I was born in the South and have lived all my life in the South. Wouldn't live anywhere else. But - I've never been a fan of grits. At least - not the over processed stuff you get in restaurants or 'instant' mush you can buy at the supermarket.

Yesterday I went over to "The Old Crank Up". It's a local private park with a lot of old steam engines and farm equipment. Once a year - they get everything up and running. It's quite a sight. Folks sit on bleachers and watch the old saw mill cut timber all day long. It really is mesmerising.

There's a stone mill there - and I bought a bag of course ground white grits.

If you look up on line - cooking grits can seem to be time consuming and difficult. Not true. Think of cooking rice - simple if you follow directions and don't overcook or burn.

The ratio is 4 parts liquid to 1 part dry grits. The liquid can be all water - all milk - or a combination. I like a 50 / 50 mix.

In a Teflon pot - bring the 4 parts liquid and 1 part grits to a boil - throw in a little salt (just enough to bring out the flavor - but not too much) - turn down immediately to a low simmer and cover. You should stir from time to time - maybe every 5 minutes or so. They will be nice and creamy in about 15 minutes.

Put in butter during cooking - or when served - your choice. The result is a hearty porridge with flavor and a nice texture - if there's a little bit of 'grit' when you eat it - you've done it exactly right.

So - I'm going back for my second helping. And - the biscuits are ready.

PS

A couple of tips - all milk can burn or scald - a 50 / 50 milk water mix works best for me. For even creamier grits - use half and half instead of milk (again 50 / 50 mix with water). Put the ingrediants into the pot and then turn on the stove / burner. This brings the mixture up to a boil gradually and helps prevent burning. Stir while heating up. If you don't have a teflon coated pot - stir more often. Grits can stick and burn even on a low simmer.