If you never seen “My Cousin Vinny” the title may not be as humorous as to the rest of us

In reality Southern Grits are very small pieces of finely broken grains of corn or hominy boiled to make a sort of corn porridge.  They are prepared  by boiling the fine grain of corn meal into a porridge or until enough water evaporates to leave them semi-solid much the way oatmeal is prepared. Grits may also be boiled with milk but this will require more attention from the cook, as grits boiled in milk tend to stick to the pan. Using milk creates a thicker richer form of grits, sometimes used as an entree outside the breakfast dish. They are a popular side dish in the South where they are usually eaten with salt or cheese.

Grits were first produced by Native Americans estimated at the early 1600’s when the colonists first arrived in Jamestown, Va. The colonist began trading with friendly Native Americans offering what is now considered grits. Back then grits were made by grounding corn and seasoning with salt forms and animal fat. Grits are filling and inexpensive and often credited with helping many Southern families through the Depression era of the 1930s.They are easy to prepare and can be made a variety of ways.