GRILLADES AND GRITS

Chef Alan Ehrich's Grillades and GritsMakes 3/4 gallon, 16 servings


1/4 cup vegetable oil


4 pounds veal cutlets, sliced into julienned strips


1 cup Burgundy wine


1/2 cup sherry wine


2 sticks butter (half a pound)


2 cups all-purpose flour


1 pound green bell peppers, julienned


1 pound red bell peppers, julienned


1 pound jumbo onions, julienned


2 stalks celery, diced


1/2 cup diced green onion


1/4 cup minced fresh garlic


1 tablespoon black pepper


1 tablespoon salt


4 or 5 bay leaves


1 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce


1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes


3 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning


1-1/2 quarts (6 cups) beef stock


2 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet


Hot grits, made with cream and cheese, for serving


Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Salt and pepper the strips of veal. Working in batches if necessary, sear and brown the strips of veal. When all are browned, remove to a large bowl. Deglaze the pan with Burgundy and sherry, scraping up bits of the browned fond to incorporate in the sauce. Whisk and stir until most of the bits dissolve. Add this sauce to the strips in the bowl.


Melt butter in the skillet. Over medium heat, stir in flour to make a roux the color and texture of peanut butter. Add peppers, onions, celery and garlic. Stir and cook 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer to a larger pot (at least 4 quarts). Add salt and pepper, bay leaves, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes and their liquid, Tony's, beef stock and Kitchen Bouquet. Add in the reserved veal strips and sauce.


Turn heat to low. The sauce now needs to cook an hour or two, until the meat is tender and the flour from the roux is cooked in. Stir occasionally. If needed, add water, 1/2 cup at a time, to keep sauce at a gravy-like consistency. When meat is tender, check the seasoning and adjust if needed.


Serve over hot grits. Or, divide into smaller batches and refrigerate for up to four days.


*