Pork and grits ‘takes me back to Grandma’s house,’ says pitmaster Rodney Scott
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Our cookbook of the week is Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie. Tomorrow, we’ll feature an interview with one of the authors.
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To try another recipe from the book, check out: Pimento cheese and Rodney’s wings.
“Pork and grits takes me back to my childhood,” says pitmaster Rodney Scott. “It was something my grandma and a lot of people in the area that I grew up in would serve.” At Scott’s Bar-B-Que in his hometown of Hemingway, S.C., customers would drop by before they had even opened in search of barbecued pork to top their grits.
When Scott opened Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston, he put the dish on the menu expecting it to be just as beloved. Despite the popularity of Low Country shrimp and grits elsewhere in the United States, Charlestonians considered grits purely a breakfast food. It never took off.
“The recipe I came up with is great for breakfast,” he writes. “But don’t get it twisted. It tastes great for lunch, dinner, or any other time of day.”
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Cook this: Pimento cheese from Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ
Cook this: Rodney’s wings from Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ
Here, Scott uses stone-ground grits, which have “a chewier texture and a richer flavour than commercial grits.” But otherwise, stays true to the spirit of his grandma’s pork and grits.
Instead of cooking bacon or sausage in the morning, she would heat up some leftover barbecued pork, and add it to a bowl of grits with a splash of sauce. “It was such a fulfilling meal,” says Scott. “It was just great.”
PORK AND GRITS
For the cheese grits:
4 cups (1 L) whole milk
2 cups stone-ground yellow grits (Anson Mills or Geechie Boy Mill)
1 stick (115 g/4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (see tip)
1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 tsp Texas Pete hot sauce
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For serving:
1 1/2 lb (680 g) chopped, pulled or sliced barbecued pork
1/2 cup Rodney’s Sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup store-bought pork skins, crumbled
Step 1
Make the cheese grits: In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine the milk and 4 cups (1 L) water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching. Slowly pour in the grits and stir with a whisk so they don’t clump together. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning, until the grits are fully cooked and tender, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in the butter and cheddar. Season the grits with the salt and hot sauce.
Step 3
To serve: Spoon 1 cup of cheese grits into each bowl or plate. Top with 4 ounces (113 grams) of barbecued pork, a splash of Rodney’s sauce and some crumbled pork skins.
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Serves: 6
Tip: It’s best to grate your own cheese rather than buy pre-grated cheese from the supermarket. That cheese has cornstarch added to keep it from sticking together.
RODNEY’S SAUCE
1 gallon (3.8 L) distilled white vinegar
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ground black pepper
1/3 cup cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 cups sugar
Step 1
In a small stockpot, warm the vinegar over medium-high heat. After about 5 minutes, when the vinegar reaches 150°F (66°C) on an instant-read thermometer, just before it starts to simmer, add the lemon slices and continue to cook until the lemon peels begin to soften and wilt, about 10 minutes more.
Step 2
Whisk in the black pepper, cayenne, pepper flakes and sugar. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the sauce reaches 190°F (88°C), about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to completely cool before using. Once the lemon is removed, the sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks.
Makes: 1 gallon (3.8 L)
Recipes and image reprinted with permission from Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie Copyright © 2021 by Rodney Scott’s BBQ, LLC, a South Carolina limited liability company. Photographs copyright © 2021 by Jerrelle Guy. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
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