New Orleans Grillades and Grits

A New Orleans brunch institution: beef medallions braised low in a Creole tomato gravy and served over cheese grits.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef round or chuck, cut into thin medallions

Salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning

• 1/3 cup flour, plus 1/4 cup for the roux
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Hot cheese grits, for serving

Directions

1. Season and lightly flour the beef, then brown in the oil in a Dutch oven and set aside.
2. Make a roux with 1/4 cup flour in the drippings, stirring until peanut-butter brown.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook until soft.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, bay, thyme, and Worcestershire. Return the beef.
5. Cover and simmer gently 1 1/2 to 2 hours until fork-tender. Adjust seasoning.
6. Serve the grillades and gravy over hot cheese grits.

Notes

Adapted from The Daring Gourmet and Saveur. Brunch in New Orleans began with dockworkers who finished by mid-morning; the first grillades recipe dates to the 1880s.