The Cajun Cooks

Despite the term, there is nothing grilled about grillades. Grillades are pieces of stewed round steak usually served as a brunch item at New Orleans restaurants. The dish is actually more Creole than Cajun as it includes tomato. However, Cajuns prepare this dish in a similar fashion. They usually do so without tomato. I recall my Mom smothering round steak with onions, bell pepper, celery and clove of garlic. This created a rich gravy and was served with—rice. Rice? Aren’t grillades served with grits? In our house, grits were served with eggs. Stews? Always served with rice. This was dinner at our house—not breakfast or brunch. My version of this savory classic incorporates the best of both worlds—I include a can of diced tomatoes in the stew, but I serve it over rice. It’s perfect on a chilly night too. If you decide to go with grits, be sure to use stone-ground grits and not quick grits. Quick grits will get lost in the thick texture of this dish. Of course, I include a suggested pairing with local wines from Virginia.

Let’s start cooking!

Cook time: 2-2 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

2 pounds of round steak—thin sliced at the supermarket is ideal; otherwise, buy a whole round steak and pound it thin

1/2 cup flour + more for dusting steak strips

1/2 cup cooking oil + 1 tablespoon for searing meat

2 cups of beef stock—keep warm on the stove top

1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 large onion—chopped

2 stalks of celery—chopped

1 small green pepper—chopped

3-4 colorful sweet peppers—chopped

1 large clove of garlic—finely chopped

Italian parsley—chopped

1 whole bay leaf

1/2 tsp Cajun spice mix

1/4 tsp of dried thyme

1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper

1/2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

hot sauce to taste

salt and cracked pepper to taste

1 cup of rice (I like Basmati rice) or stone-ground grits (follow directions on package)

Season round steak with salt and pepper. Slice into 2×2 inch squares and dust with flour
Heat large skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil. Working in batches, sear meat on both sides under lightly brown. Place seared pieces of meat on a platter as you remove them from the skillet. When all pieces are seared, keep warm in the oven using the warming feature. (170 degrees)
Use a Dutch oven to make the stew. Heat the pot on a large burner and on a low flame until it is just warm.
Add 1/2 cup of cooking oil. Be sure to use an oil that has a high heat point like peanut oil.
Slowly whisk in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk the flour and oil together until smooth. You are now making a roux, the foundation for most Cajun dishes. Keep the flame on low!
Continue to stir the roux until it turns a dark brown color. I use a slotted spoon to keep the oil and flour mixed together. This should take about 20 minutes.
Add the onions, celery, and peppers to the pot and coat with the browned roux. Saute the vegetables for about 5-7 minutes.
Add the finely chopped garlic and saute for another minute or two.
Use a ladle to start incorporating the beef stock. Reserve about 1/2 cup of stock to add to the stew as it simmers.
Stir the roux and stock together and then bring to a boil on a medium flame. Gently boil until the stock and roux are completely smooth. Stir continually to avoid scorching.
Reduce the flame to simmer and add the canned tomatoes, including the juice. (Feel free to add another 1/2 can of tomatoes if you prefer.)
Remove the meat from the oven and add to the gravy.
Toss in the bay leaf. Add the spices and seasonings except for the parsley.
Yay! You are now simmering grillades! Simmer for at least 2 hours. Add the reserved stock as the stew continues to thicken. This will be thick in the end, but it shouldn’t be a gloppy mess.
Check for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Add parsley about 30 minutes before serving.
Serve grillades over rice or grits. Be sure to bring hot sauce to the table!

While Stew is Simmering:

Cook rice or grits—whichever you prefer. I always have this stew for dinner, so rice for me. Serving for brunch? Go with grits. Don’t like grits? Rice will do, even for brunch.

Suggested Wine Pairing:

Petit Verdot has a dark fruit profile. Its acidity and firm tannins match the smoky and spicy elements of this dish. The wine complements the dish’s dense texture. I can recommend the 2021 Petit Verdot from Paradise Springs Winery. The 2022 Rusticity from Delaplane Cellars should also match up nicely. It’s a blend of Petit Verdot (68%), Cabernet Franc (23%), Merlot (7%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (2%).