Video:Southern Grits

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Transcript:Southern Grits

Hi, I'm Linda Leon with About.com Food, and today we're going to make a comfort food called grits.

Ingredients Needed to Make Grits

So, let's take a look at some of our ingredients. You will need:

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup grits
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup bacon fat

Boil the Water

To begin, we're going to add 2 cups of water to our pot, and bring it up to a high boil. Once the water has reached a high boil, add your butter, salt, and pepper, and reduce the heat.

Reduce the Heat

Now, it is very important that you reduce the heat because grits have a tendency to pop when they boil. They have a tendency to puff up, and you can get scorched. So, you have to be very careful with hot water while you're making your grits.

Secret to Delicious Grits

Now the key to good grits is not as much the ingredients, but it's the constant stirring.

When you read most packages on grit preparation, they will say stir occasionally. But my success has been with stirring constantly.

Add the Grits

Then slowly pour in the grits, and add them just a little at a time. This will help to reduce some of the bubbling that takes place.

As you notice, it's beginning to boil up. What I do is just lift the pot gently and let it cool off just a little. Keep stirring.

Stir the Grits Constantly

Continue to stir until the grits reach the consistency that you like. Now, this is an excellent consistency. They are not too thick, and they are not too runny. They are just right.

Add Bacon Fat to the Grits

Here's what you add to grits to give them a restaurant-style quality and a real Southern flair. It's bacon fat. You're going to add about 1/4 cup of that to your grits.

Now, I would not recommend adding bacon fat on a regular basis, but if you really want Southern flavor, it is what you must do.

Well, that's all to it. We're going to turn off our flame, and plate these up. Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the Web at food.about.com.