Grillades and Grits
This hearty breakfast dish is so delicious you’ll want to have it for lunch and supper, too. Veal or beef round is pounded thin and simmered in a sauce that includes tomatoes, peppers, and onions, similar to “Swiss steak.” It is one of the traditional dishes at “Breakfast at Brennan’s.”
Ingredients
- Olive Oil - 3/4 cup
- Garlic Cloves - 5, minced
- Green Peppers - 3 cups, chopped
- White Onions - 3 cups, coarsely chopped
- Green Onions - 2, chopped
- Ribs Celery - 2, chopped
- Ripe Tomatoes - 8, diced
- Salt - 2 to 3 teaspoons
- Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
- Bay Leaves - 3, crushed
- Beef Stock - 2 quarts
- Worcestershire sauce - 2 tablespoons
- Cornstarch - 4 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water
- Veal or Beef Round - 3 pounds
- Flour for dredging
- Butter - 1/2 cup
- Parsley - 1 bunch, stemmed and chopped
- Freshly cooked grits - 4 cups
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan. Add the garlic, green pepper, onions, and celery. Saute until they begin to brown. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and bay leaves and mix thoroughly. Add the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce and cook, stirring and skimming frequently, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and water and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Put the meat between sheets of plastic wrap and pound thin with a mallet or heavy flat object. If necessary, cut into 5-inch-by-5-inch pieces. Dredge with flour. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and saute the meat on each side until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Just before serving, put the meat into the sauce and heat through.
To serve: Divide the meat among the serving plates. Spoon sauce over the meat. Sprinkle the meat with chopped parsley. Serve the grits on the side.
