Shredded Beef with Cheesy Grits | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

  • Beef
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  • Slow Cooking

by Kylie PerrottiPosted on March 27, 2020November 11, 2021

Shredded Beef with Cheesy Grits | Tried and True Recipes (1)

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This recipe for shredded beef with cheesy grits is comfort food at its finest. How could you not love a comforting bowl of beef with grits on a cold night?

Shredded Beef with Cheesy Grits | Tried and True Recipes (2)

My recipe for shredded beef is just a handful of ingredients:

  1. A big chuck roast
  2. Onions
  3. Garlic (which I roast and turn into a paste!)
  4. Butter
  5. Red Wine
  6. Beef Stock
  7. Whole-peeled tomatoes
  8. Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper

That’s it! You are just 8 simple ingredients away from a big bowl of warming shredded beef. I like my shredded beef to have a bit of heat, so I really load up on the crushed red pepper, but you can use it to taste.

This beef recipe is really a blank canvas, so you can add whatever you like. You can add chili powder and cumin and use this on tacos or you can add harissa and serve it over rice. You could also cook this with sautéed mushrooms and serve over mashed potatoes. The possibilities are really endless/

I prepared the cheesy grits during the last 30 minutes of the recipe and simply used yellow grits, butter, water, milk, and lots of cheese. I like spicy grits so I used a blend of sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheese, and I added a few shakes of cayenne.

If you made this recipe, please rate it and comment below! You can alsofollow meand share your creations by tagging me! I’d love to feature your #triedandtruerecipes creation on my feed

Shredded Beef with Cheesy Grits | Tried and True Recipes (3)

This recipe for shredded beef with cheesy grits is comfort food at its finest. How could you not love a comforting bowl of beef with grits on a cold night?

4.16 from 25 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 678kcal

Ingredients

Shredded Beef:

  • 3 pounds chuck roast cut into large pieces
  • 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil plus more, if needed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 yellow onions peeled and sliced
  • 1 garlic bulb halved cross-wise (peel left on)
  • 2 cups red wine or beef stock
  • 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
  • 15 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1-2 cups beef stock more if needed
  • Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Cheesy Grits:

  • 2 cups yellow grits
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheese sharp cheddar and/or pepper jack
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder more or less to taste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Brown the Beef:

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF.

  • Pat the chuck dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef without crowding the pan and cook in batches, 3-4 minutes per side until completely browned all over. Transfer to a bowl If there is a lot of excess oil in the pot, strain it off (without losing the fond).

Cook the Onions and Garlic:

  • Melt the butter into the same pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 7-8 minutes until browned. Add the garlic bulb, cut-side down, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Season all over with salt and pepper.

    Shredded Beef with Cheesy Grits | Tried and True Recipes (4)

Deglaze the Pot:

  • Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Bring to a boil.

  • Add both cans of whole peeled tomatoes and the beef stock. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat.

Braise the Beef:

  • Return the beef to the pot. Flip the garlic bulbs so they are cut-side up and the garlic is sitting slightly on top of the pot.

  • Transfer to the oven and bake for 3 hours until tender. Stir the beef occasionally and spoon broth over the garlic as it cooks.

Shred the Beef:

  • Remove the pot from the oven. Scoop out the garlic and transfer it to a plate. Carefully pop the cloves of garlic out of the skin. Discard the garlic. Using a fork, mash the cloves into a paste.

  • Transfer the beef to the same plate and shred it with two forks.

  • Lightly mash the tomatoes with a spoon.

  • Return the garlic paste and shredded beef to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add more liquid as necessary and stir occasionally to keep it from burning. Taste and season to your preferences.

Prepare the Cheesy Grits:

  • In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil.

  • Add the grits, whisking as you add them to the water. Reduce heat, whisking regularly for 6 minutes until they begin to thicken.

  • Add the milk and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. whisking regularly, until the grits are thickened and tender.

  • Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Add the cheese and whisk to incorporate. Once melted and thick, turn off the heat.

To Serve:

  • Divide the cooked grits between shallow bowls and spoon the shredded beef on top. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 32g | Sodium: 567mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin C: 16mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @triedandtruerecipes or tag #triedandtruerecipes so I can feature you in my feed!

Shredded Beef with Cheesy Grits | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What meat goes well with cheese grits? ›

Cheese grits are always good for breakfast. Serve them alongside eggs, bacon, and toast or biscuits. Or make a breakfast bowl with cheese grits topped with a fried egg and crumbled bacon or sausage! For supper, serve them with some savory grilled pork chops, seasoned grilled fish, or a delicious pork rib ragu.

What cut of meat is best for shredded beef? ›

Chuck roast is arguably the best cut to use for pulled beef. Similar to the front shoulder of pork (or the pork “butt”) chuck roasts, being from the front shoulder of the steer, are chock full of fat, collagen, and marbling. This is the stuff we need to make delicious juicy pulled beef.

What do Southerners eat with grits? ›

Corn was dried, boiled, and rinsed so the hominy could be used as a staple or ground into "flour" or grits. Grits served with fried eggs, O.J., coffee (cafe au lait if you use a New Orleans blend), Mimosas or Bloody Marys for a brunch, as we say in south Louisiana: "mais-oui, you'll bring da house down fo' sho!"

How healthy is cheese grits? ›

Grits alone are not high in fat, but they often have butter, oil, or cheese added, adding a significant amount of saturated fat and calories. Be mindful of the preparation method and choose a variety of lower-calorie items like vegetables and fruit to serve with them.

What is the secret to good grits? ›

The key to cooking old-fashioned grits is going low and slow—use a low heat so the grits simmer and slowly release their starches, which creates a decadent, silky texture. Whisking constantly during the first couple of minutes, and frequently throughout the rest of the cooking process, will prevent lumps from forming.

Why is my shredded beef not tender? ›

Another reason is that there may not be enough liquid. It's important to use the right amount of liquid to keep the beef moist and tender. How do you cook beef so you can shred it? Typically, beef is cooked low and slow to make it tender enough to shred.

Why is my shredded beef dry? ›

The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold.

How do you keep shredded beef from drying out? ›

In this case, you can retain the meat's moist texture in the refrigerator or freezer by incorporating cooking juices within the sealed container. The key is to ensure the shredded meat is sufficiently drenched in juices before putting it away.

What are grits called in the South? ›

The word "grits" is derived from the Old English word grytt, meaning "coarse meal". In the Charleston, South Carolina area, cooked hominy grits were primarily referred to as "hominy" until the 1980s.

What state is known for grits? ›

In 1976, South Carolina declared grits the official state food, calling them a "symbol of its diet, its customs, its humor, and its hospitality." There are four basic varieties of grits: traditional stone-ground, quick-cooking, instant, and hominy.

What is antebellum grits? ›

Their Antebellum grits are made from heirloom white or yellow corn varieties — and stone-ground.

What does putting milk in grits do? ›

Aside from lots of delicious cheese, these grits get their extra creaminess by cooking them in milk. Yep. No water here! Grits are often synonymous with the South and are considered not only a Southern staple, but a tradition.

What does adding an egg to grits do? ›

Similar to the rice in tamago kake gohan, the hot grits gently “cook” the egg, turning the slippery white and runny yolk into a creamy, emulsifying sauce.

What does baking soda do to grits? ›

Baking soda breaks through the structure of the grains of corn, encouraging gelatinization of the grits' starches so that they absorb liquid, thicken up, and get creamy in no time.

What pairs with cheese grits? ›

The best side dishes to serve with cheese grits are ricotta, green beans with bacon, sausage and potatoes, scrambled eggs, smoked cod, pulled pork, coconut shrimp, egg bites, sauteed mushrooms, grilled asparagus, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, spinach salad, fried chicken, roasted Brussels sprouts, and collard greens ...

What are grits good to eat with? ›

Grits, a porridge made from ground corn, are a beloved breakfast staple in the southern United States. While grits are often paired with rich accompaniments like butter, cheese, ham, and sausage, they can easily be incorporated into a healthy diet.

What meat goes with shrimp and grits? ›

Some recipes incorporate sausage or bacon, while others use different types of cheese or vegetables. My version of shrimp and grits incorporates crispy bacon, which adds a delicious smoky flavor, and a generous amount of sauce for drizzling over the creamy grits.

How are grits traditionally served? ›

Grits are a staple in the modern Southern kitchen. Made for breakfast (with butter, jam, jelly, cheese or sugar for garnish and flavorings) or for dinner (usually with shrimp or fried fish), ground corn never tasted so good.

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