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Grits, Polenta and Coo-Coo

These cornmeal dishes add savory substance to your prepared foods counter.

Corn is one of the most important New World gifts to the global cuisine. In the American South, stone-ground cornmeal, or grits, was a legacy from the first residents, and many Southerners say grits are a cornerstone of their cuisine. Coo-Coo (or Cou-Cou), the national dish of Barbados, is said to have arrived with early Bajan settlers from Africa. In Italy, even before corn arrived in Europe, ground dried chestnuts and farro were used in early Roman dishes that resembled the now popular polenta. Today, polenta is often served as a soft, creamy accompaniment for robust stews and ragus.

All-American Short Ribs and Cheesy Stone-Ground Grits

Yield: 24 (10-ounce) portions (6 ounces short rib, 4 ounces grits)

Preparation time: 45 minutes for grits, 3 hours for short ribs • Shelf life: 2 to 3 days
Cheesy stone-ground grits—here partnered with molasses and bourbon-laced short ribs—are great as a comfort food. The melt-in-your-mouth short ribs have a meaty bite and serving them over coarse, cheesy grits makes the flavor stand out even more, especially with the rich sauce produced by this cut of meat. The grits and short ribs can be made ahead and kept warm. You can also cook the short ribs a day ahead and reheat them.

Short Ribs:
24 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut 2 inches wide, blotted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup canola oil
3 pounds carrots, finely diced
3 pounds yellow onions, finely diced
2 pounds celery, finely diced
¼ cup garlic, finely chopped
3 cups bourbon
3 cups chicken stock
5 cups beef demi-glace
2 cups dark molasses
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (undrained)
½ bunch fresh thyme
4 bay leaves

Cheesy Grits:
½ gallon chicken stock
½ gallon whole milk
4 cups coarse, stone-ground white grits
4 tablespoons butter
2 pounds shredded, sharp, white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. For short ribs: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Season short ribs with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large cast-iron Dutch oven or other heavy pot over high heat. Pour in oil and, working in batches, sear short ribs on all sides. Remove ribs as they become golden brown and set aside. This should take about 20 minutes, if done in batches.

3. Discard all but a couple of tablespoons of oil from the pan; add carrots, onions and celery and sauté until lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour in bourbon, carefully ignite and let bourbon reduce by half.

4. Add chicken stock, demi-glace, molasses and tomatoes and bring liquid to a simmer. Add herbs, return short ribs to the Dutch oven, cover and braise in the oven for 3 hours, making sure liquid stays at a low simmer. The bones will fall out when done. Remove meat and bones from cooking liquid; trim sinew and fat from the meat and transfer to a large baking dish.

5. Boil cooking liquid for 10 minutes, then pour it through a strainer or China cap onto the meat, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Skim off fat and keep warm or refrigerate until the next day and slowly reheat.

6. For grits: In a large pot, bring chicken stock and milk to a boil, then slowly whisk in the grits until blended and smooth. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 1½ hours. When fully cooked, add butter and cheese, stir until smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm.

The All-American Short Ribs and Cheesy Stone-Ground Grits were adapted from Joanna Pruess’ Cast-Iron Cookbook: Delicious and Simple Comfort Food, Sky Horse Publishers, New York, 2009.

NUTRITIONAL DATA (per 10-ounce portion) : Calories: 860; Cholesterol: 145 mg; Sodium: 360 mg; Fat: 65 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g

Click here to view the ingredient cost worksheet for this recipe.

Jamaican-Barbadian Coo-Coo
with Salt Cod and Okra

Yield:
24 (8-ounce) portions

Preparation time:
20 minutes (once the salt cod has been soaked and cooked)

Shelf life: 1 week

Coo-Coo is a dish enjoyed throughout the Caribbean from Trinidad and Tobago to Grenada and Jamaica. In Barbados, Coo-Coo is the national dish. The cornmeal porridge is blended with okra and served with steamed flying fish on top. In Jamaica, bacon or pork and dried cod are used. It can also be prepared as a vegetarian side dish. This recipe is a blend of several versions.

3 pounds salt cod, soaked, cooked and shredded
3 ounces unsalted butter or oil + butter to grease molds
6 ounces smoked bacon, finely chopped
12 ounces small okra, tips and stems removed, cut into ¼-inch slices
6 cups coconut milk
6+ cups chicken stock or water
6 cups fine cornmeal
2 tablespoons finely chopped marjoram leaves
1 tablespoon minced Scotch bonnet pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted, for garnish

1. Prepare the cod as directed in Note below.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in bacon and cook until most of the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add okra and cook until tender, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Pour in coconut milk and stock and bring to a boil. Slowly add cornmeal, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon over medium heat until mixture is smooth and thick, about 6 minutes, adding a little more water if too dry. Stir in cod, marjoram and Scotch bonnet; season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. To serve: Fill 24 (1-cup) buttered molds with Coo-Coo, patting the mixture down so it is smooth. Keep warm or reheat and invert before serving. Alternatively, spoon mixture into a large buttered pan. Coo-Coo may be reheated in the oven or microwave. Before serving, drizzle ½ tablespoon of toasted coconut on each portion as a garnish.

Note: There are different methods for soaking and cooking salt cod:

Traditional: Rinse salt off the fish and cut into pieces. Put in a non-reactive dish and cover with cold water, refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water several times a day. Drain and transfer to a skillet, cover with cold water and slowly bring to a simmer; poach until fish flakes. Drain, transfer to a cutting board, discard any skin and bones and break into small flakes. Blot dry.

Quick: Rinse salt off the cod and cut into pieces. In a skillet, cover with cold water and bring to a gentle simmer four times for 5 minutes, each time until most of the salt is removed, the fish is cooked and is easily flaked. Blot dry.

NUTRITIONAL DATA (per 8-ounce portion) : Calories: 380; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Sodium: 420 mg; Fat: 18 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g

Click here to view the ingredient cost worksheet for this recipe.

Italian Polenta with Prosciutto-Porcini Ragu

Yield: 24 (8-ounce) portions (5 ounces polenta, 3 ounces ragu)

Preparation time:
45 minutes polenta,
20 minutes ragu

Shelf life: 2 to 3 days

Toothsome polenta with a rich wild mushroom and prosciutto ragu is Italian comfort food at its best. My friend, Jason Kallert, the executive chef of the New York Friars’ Club, shared this
recipe with me.

Polenta:
7 quarts chicken stock
½ pound unsalted butter
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sea salt
7 cups coarse yellow cornmeal
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt
and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ragu:
¼ pound unsalted butter
3 ounces olive oil
¾ pound yellow onions, finely diced
½ pound thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
2 quarts veal demi-glace
1 quart chicken stock
3 pounds fresh porcini, trimmed, wiped and sliced (see Note)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. For the polenta: In a large stockpot, bring chicken stock, one stick of butter, olive oil and salt to a boil; slowly whisk in the cornmeal until it is combined. Turn heat down to low and simmer polenta, stirring with a wooden spoon every 5 minutes, for 45 minutes.

2. Turn off heat; stir in remaining butter, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and salt and pepper to taste, cover and keep warm. The polenta should have a smooth consistency and should pour almost like mashed potatoes.

3. For the ragu: Heat butter and 1 ounce of oil in a large casserole. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Stir in prosciutto, sauté for 5 minutes, then add demi-glace and chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. While ragu is cooking, heat remaining 2 ounces of oil in a couple of large sauté pans until almost smoking; add the porcini and sauté until golden brown, shaking the pan often. Drain off oil, add mushrooms to the ragu and cook 15 minutes longer; taste to adjust the seasoning.

5. For each portion: Place a 5-ounce ladle of polenta into a bowl, add a 3-ounce ladle of ragu over it and serve.

Note: If fresh porcini are unavailable, substitute the same amount of white mushrooms along with 1½ ounces reconstituted dried porcinis. Strain and reduce the soaking liquid down to a few tablespoons and add it to the demi-glace or stock.

NUTRITIONAL DATA (per 8-ounce portion): Calories: 390; Cholesterol: 20 mg; Sodium: 600 mg; Fat: 10 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g

Click here to view the ingredient cost worksheet for this recipe.

Joanna Pruess is a regular contributor to Specialty Food Magazine.