What Is Hominy Grits
At least the grits I buy are hominy grits. In some places when the kernels are whole it is called posole.
Leftover grits may be molded cut into thick slices dipped in cornmeal and fried delicious served with sorghum maple syrup or honey.
What is hominy grits. Hominy is dried corn that has had its hull and germ removed. This is harder to find in the Pacific Northwest. To form masa or cornmeal youll grind the hominy freshly cooked if youll be using it directly for tamales or tortillas otherwise you can grind the hominy once youre dehydrated it for future storage.
True grits are usually made with dried ground hominycorn that has been soaked in an alkaline solution to render it more nutritious and delicious. Its often used as a thickener for soups and stews. The process can cause the kernels to double in size which is why hominy can look a little scary.
Hominy grits dried hominy corn that has been ground into cornmeal can be found in specialty grocery stores too. Hominy is sold dried ready-to-eat in cans delicious in soups and stews or dried and coarsely ground into hominy grits. Hominy grits are a type of grits made from hominy corn that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization with the pericarp removed.
This alkali process known as nixtamalization loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the kernels themselves. Hominy grits is an expression strongly associated with the US. Hominy can be ground coarsely for grits or into a fine mash dough used extensively in Latin American cuisine.
To form corn nuts fry the freshly cooked hominy until theyre golden and crunchy. These are made from corn kernels soaked in an alkali solution to soften the tough pericarp outer shell or hull. We use hominy to make Pozole Verde and Pozole Rojo.
Once the hull is removed hominy can be cooked canned dried or ground. To make grits run your dehydrated kernels through a kitchen appliance until theyre coarsely ground. If you fancy making some cornbread or dumplings then try this alternative.
Its texture is similar to coarse sand and is used for breakfast cereal as a side dish and in baking. Hominy is the essential ingredient in grits and corn tortillas. And thats hominy in a nutshell.
Polenta comes from flint corn which is courser and holds a firmer texture while the dent corn or hominy used for grits produces a finer consistency. Hominy is basically dried corn that has been soaked in a mineral lime bath. It can be coarsely ground boiled and served as a porridge also known as grits or shaped into cakes and fried.
Hominy is made from corn kernels that have been soaked in a lime or lye solution which softens the tough outer hulls. Grits are usually served as a side dish in much the same way that hash browns are served with Western breakfasts but grits can also be enjoyed on their own with a little milk and honey. And while it isnt the case across the board the corn used to create polenta is generally yellow while grits are white.
The ideal replacement for hominy grits is polenta meal which has all the same uses in the kitchen. The other cool thing about masa or really about hominy in general is that by nixtamalizing the corn the nutrient niacin can be absorbed into the body. Stone-ground hominy is known as grits and is a Southern staple.
Or it can be finely ground and used to make flour thicken stews or make tortillas and tortilla chips. It is created through a process called nixtamalization a word derived from the Nahuatl language spoken by the pre-Columbian people of Mesoamerica who invented this process of soaking corn in an alkaline solution of calcium hydroxide made from slaked lime lye or wood ash. Its often called samp when its coarsely ground and when ground into small grains its often called grits hominy grits or little hominy.
Then the kernels are rinsed to remove the outer hulls. Grits are the finer particles or broken hominy. Grits are produced from hominy but are ground as opposed to the whole kernel form which hominy maintains.
Hominy is the whole kernel of corn which has been treated with lye to remove the hulls. Cooking dried hominy is similar to cooking beans ie. South and Southern cooking in general though it is often shortened to just grits Hominy refers to the type of grain that is used to make traditional grits though grits can be made with any of several types of grain.
Pozole is a classic Mexican soup that relies on the hominy to make a hearty satisfying meal. Hominy are corn kernels without their germ or bran. How to Cook With Hominy Take a look at your hominy recipe and see if the dish calls for the dried or canned version.
Grits are cooked very much like rice and is served with butter or gravy as a vegetable OR as a cereal. Many islands in the West Indies notably Jamaica also use hominy known as cornmeal or polenta though different from Italian polenta to make a sort of porridge with corn starch or flour to thicken the mixture and condensed milk vanilla and nutmeg. For this reason grits are sometimes referred to as hominy grits as they are derived from hominy.
Grits are often served with other flavorings as a breakfast dish. Grits can be either savory or sweet with savory seasonings being more common. It takes some time but youll get an upgrade in flavor compared to the canned option.
