Cajun food does not get enough accolades. With bold, but comforting flavors, there is something both inviting and exciting about cajun cuisine and these grillades and definitely grits are par for the course.
Grillades (pronounced GREE-ahds) are tender chunks of beef simmered away in a thick, flavorful gravy packed with cajun spices, tomatoes and of course, the cajun trinity: celery, onions and peppers. All of this deliciousness is ladled over creamy grits and when I say that you will not be able to stop taking “one more bite”… I mean it, so consider yourself warned.
Let’s get started…
Begin by preparing your ingredients. Grab a sharp knife and dice up 2 celery ribs, a large yellow onion, a small red bell pepper, a small green bell pepper, 4 cloves of garlic and about 2 cups of tomatoes.
In addition to these beautiful vegetables, you will need a good quality cajun seasoning, some balsamic vinegar, worcestershire, beef broth and bay leaves.
The only ingredient left to prepare is the beef. You can use top round steak or a tender chuck roast for grillades and grits. Pick a roast that is about 2 pounds and has a fairly even marbling of fat. Slice the beef into 1 inch cubes and remove any hard, gristly fat that you encounter.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of all purpose flour with 1 heaping teaspoon of cajun seasoning. Lightly coat all of the beef on all sides and transfer the coated beef onto a plate to rest for a few minutes.
Place a large skillet over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. As soon as the oil is warm, begin placing some of the seasoned beef into the skillet in a single layer leaving a little bit of space in between each piece.
I am using a 12 inch cast iron skillet and it took me 2 batches to brown all of the beef. Cook each piece for about 2 minutes per side. You just want the beef to be lightly seared and browned on all sides. Once it is, transfer it onto a plate and continue repeating the process until all of the beef is browned.
Note: You may need to add a splash of vegetable oil in between rounds to keep things well greased.
Once all of the beef has been browned and transferred onto a plate, add 2 tablespoons of butter into the skillet along with 4 cloves of finely minced garlic. Cook the garlic for about 60 seconds while stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to work up any brown bits left behind from browning the beef.
As soon as the garlic has softened and is fragrant, add the diced celery, onions and bell peppers and cook for about 5 minutes.
Once everything has softened, add 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a tablespoon of tomato paste and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. This flour will eventually be what thickens our gravy, so stir it around to ensure that it is evenly distributed.
This is one of the most important parts of this (and many other) recipes… scraping the bottom of the skillet. At one point, the bottom of this skillet was full of browned bits and seasoning that had been left behind, but all of that goodness needs to be scraped up and brought into the mix, so it can be included in the gravy we are building. Browned bits are flavor and no flavor should be left behind.
It is now time to add 2 cups of diced tomatoes, 2 cups of beef broth and 2 bay leaves into the skillet. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a low simmer.
As soon as the gravy begins to simmer, add the browned beef, cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low. You want the heat to be low enough to not burn anything at the base of the skillet, but just high enough to maintain a low simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and simmer covered for about 90 minutes.
While your grillades are simmering away, make a batch of creamy grits to pair with them. I love using my favorite creamy cheddar grits, but living in the south, I am acutely aware that many people have their own cherished grits recipes, so feel free to use your own.
At around the 90 minute mark, take a piece of the beef out and check that it is nice and tender before transferring the skillet off of the heat. Carefully remove the bay leaves and garnish the grillades with a handful of freshly chopped parsley.
To serve your grillades and grits, add a layer of grits into shallow bowls and ladle a healthy serving of grillades over them. Garnish the bowls with a little more parsley and enjoy this cajun classic…
For me, the flavors in this gravy, the tenderness of the beef and those creamy grits are just the quintessential cajun comfort food trio. I literally can’t get enough of this hearty meal. It has a little bit of heat, sweet, smokiness and earthiness. Everything is well balanced and addictively satisfying.
If you are looking for a meal that will transport you directly to the streets of New Orleans then you should make yourself a delicious skillet full of grillades and grits. There is nothing quite like it.
Grillades & Grits
Ingredients
Grillades
- 2 pounds of top round or tender chuck roast
- 2/3 cup of all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning
- salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, dieced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups of tomatoes, diced
- 2 cups of beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour (optional)
Creamy Cheddar Grits
- 2 cups of water or chicken stock
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 1 cup of grits
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar, shredded
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
Make the grillades...
- Slice the beef into 1 inch cubes
- Combine 1/2 cup of all purpose flour with 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning and coat the beef cubes on all sides
- Add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil into a large cast iron skillet placed over medium heat
- Brown the beef cubes for about 2 minutes per side and then transfer onto a plate and set aside for now
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter into the skillet and as soon as the butter has melted, add 4 cloves of finely minced garlic and cook for 60 seconds stirring consistently
- Add the chopped celery, yellow onion, red and green bell peppers and cook for about 5 minutes
- Add 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a tablespoon of tomato paste and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and stir to combine
- Add 2 cups of diced tomatoes, 2 cups of beef broth and 2 bay leaves and bring to a low simmer
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add the browned beef and a big pinch of salt
- Cover the skillet and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the beef is tender
- Garnish with parsley
Make the creamy cheddar grits...
- Add 2 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of whole milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil
- Slowly whisk in the grits and simmer until tender
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter and sharp cheddar
- Mix until fully incorporated
