Grits are small broken grains of Corn? or Hominy. With corn grits, corn is ground by a stone mill. The results are passed through screens, with the finer part being corn meal, and the coarser being grits. Hominy grits (traditional southern grits) are made fron hominy (nixtamalized corn), just like the masa harina from which tortillas are made. Nixtamalization, the alkaline soaking treatment, prevents pellagra, a niacin deficiency disease. Polenta is a similar coarseness, but is not made from hominy.
Also See:
- Wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grits - Southernfood About.com: http://southernfood.about.com/cs/gritsrecipes/a/grits_recipes.htm
- The Cook's
Thesaurus: http://www.foodsubs.com/GrainCorn.html#hominy_grits - Good Hominy Grits (wonderful history article): http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/fussell/hominy.htm
- Grits, Present at the Creation (NPR's "Morning Edition"): http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/grits/
- What's Cooking America Grits History: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/GritsHistory.htm
- Falls Mill & Country Store: http://www.grits.com/discript.htm
- What's the difference between polenta and grits? http://ask.yahoo.com/20021007.html
From Southernfood About.Com:
To make fried grits, let them cool slightly then beat in one egg. Pour into a buttered loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When chilled and firm, cut into thin slices. Fry in bacon fat or butter.
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