Any lover of Southern-style breakfasts has had their fair share of grits, but did you know that the coarsely ground corn is also popular around sections of the Mexican border? “Green chile grits are common between Arizona and El Paso,” writes chef Hank Shaw in his cookbook, Borderlands. “Once you remember that the Anglo settlement of this region was initially dominated by people from the American South, seeing grits on a menu in, say, Bisbee, Arizona, or Deming, New Mexico makes a lot more sense.”
One of the benefits of this regional quirk is a smoky, spicy take on the breakfast classic: grits studded with ultra-flavorful Southwestern green chiles. “Many recipes simply used canned roasted green chiles,” Shaw explains, “and that’s fine, but freshly roasted will taste better: You’ll get a firmer chile, more of those blackened charred bits, and the juice that the peppers exude adds flavor to the grits.” So if you’ve got a good chile source, give them a call now.
“You want real grits, not quick grits, which are an abomination,” Shaw continues. “I highly recommend War Eagle grits, or Palmetto Farms, Anson Mills, or even Bob’s Red Mill. If you are in a place where grits are not a thing, like North Dakota or New Hampshire, you’ll have to buy online. Other than that, easy-peasy.” With the right grits in hand, all that’s left to do is stir, simmer, and savor.
“These grits make a great vegetarian lunch or dinner, especially if you feel like frying an egg and putting that on top. Leftovers? Pack into a container and cover while still a little warm, then set in the fridge. This will let the grits set up without creating that hardened edge on the side exposed to air. Then, when you want to serve your leftover grits, they’ll still be sticky enough so you can dust them in cornmeal or flour and fry crispy.” In other words, one batch of these grits can easily turn into two meals — comfort food now, and golden, crisped perfection later.
Green Chile Grits Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes Ι Cook time: 30 minutes Ι Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1⁄2 cup minced white or yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 1⁄2 cups water
- Salt
- 1 cup grits
- 2 to 5 roasted green chiles, chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or marjoram
- 1 cup shredded longhorn, Jack, or Chihuahua cheese
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
- 1⁄4 cup minced cilantro
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook the onions and garlic until soft and translucent, but not browned, about 4 minutes. Stir occasionally, and salt them a bit as they cook.
- Add the water and a pinch of salt and bring this to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to medium and pour in the grits in a stream, stirring constantly in one direction; this helps prevent lumps. Stir well and lower the heat so the mixture is simmering, not roiling. Cook this for about 15 minutes, stirring often to pre- vent the bottom from sticking and scorching.
- When the grits are close — they need to be soft and creamy, not, well, gritty — stir in the Mexican oregano and the chopped green chiles, with any juices that have collected. Let this cook another 5 minutes. Note that you want the grits to be loose, so you might need to stir in a little more water.
- Stir in the minced serrano, the cheese, and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When this has fully melted in, taste the grits and add salt if needed. Add some black pepper and a little of the chopped cilantro.
Options: You can mince cilantro stems from your bunch and add them to the grits when you add the green chiles. You can also thinly slice another serrano for a spicy garnish, or fry an egg to your liking and top your grits with it.
If you want to, you can add chicken or vegetable stock up to 50 percent of the water needed. More than that and you’ll discolor the grits, and get too strong a broth flavor, which detracts from the green chile flavor.
Recipe excerpted from Borderlands by Hank Shaw.
