Anytime, Anyplace: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Shrimp and Grits

I've been wanting to create this recipe for a while and I'm amazed how quickly this came together. Unlike most of the DSB recipes - and thanks to the weather, this one was put together in the kitchen. Could I have walked out to the shack and lit either the PK or Weber? Yeah. This is also one of the times my brother Heath would have gladly sold me a pellet grill to make shrimp and grits happen, but my backyard is still a disaster area and will continue to be throughout the rainy season so no GMG in my future.  

Time to get down on it! #shrimpandgrits #DubShackBBQ🏚️ #everydayisaGREATdayforbbq #pitmasterlife #igotthesauces pic.twitter.com/fpjrmQVE5T

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) May 1, 2022

So...how did your friendly pitmaster bring a Low Country staple to the Natural State and turn it into a recommended recipe? Keep reading - but first a quick history lesson. As some of you know, my paternal family originated from northwestern South Carolina and they migrated to central Arkansas with 5,000 other Black people from Edgefield as a result of the Edgefield Exile of 1881. We didn't just bring the Word of God and ridiculous work ethic with us; we brought stories, memories, skills, verve, and flavors that cannot be beaten such as the tomato-based The O.G. barbecue sauce. Shrimp and grits are synonymous with Charleston throughout the Low Country along the coastline while pork reigns supreme in the Pee Dee region [Florence, Marion, Hemingway, Conway, Myrtle Beach, etc.]; to discover that pulled pork and grits was a legitimate breakfast item at a Hardee's off I-95 was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Like almost everything else in America, as the culture is sampled to no end and the originators were pushed along to the extreme margins they kept one of the great creations and capitulated as a fully assimilated product, shrimp and grits became one of those examples of authentic Southern dining.

Enough of the lesson: Gotta stop before someone says I'm teaching CRT through food.

INGREDIENTS

1 c quick grits

16 oz chicken broth

6 strips of turkey bacon

1 smoked sausage

1 package of jumbo or colossal shrimp

Old Bay seasoning

1/2 stick of butter

1 tbsp minced garlic

Parsley flakes 

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

4 oz grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese

4 oz cream cheese

*Of course, make it your own. I chose chicken broth so I wouldn't have to add salt to the grits, cilantro can be a substitute for parsley, and the style of bacon (pork, beef, turkey) used is immaterial as long as the grease is saved as part of the sauce. I just had a lot of turkey bacon around and once it was diced, it happened to work this time.

STEP ONE. Dice up the bacon into bite-size pieces and do the same to the sausage. Since I used turkey bacon, I added an additional two pats of butter to create extra flavor and alongside the sausage, sauteed to a crispy tender state and set aside. Using the same skillet pan, add the thawed seasoned shrimp to the bacon grease and cook to the letter C before putting away in a separate container. If the shrimp curls up, then it is overcooked.  

STEP TWO. Cook grits as the package suggests. Pro tip: To minimize the risk of oversalting, use chicken broth instead of water. You'll thank me later. As the broth and grits boil, turn down the heat and add the cheeses and stir to your preferred consistency.

STEP THREE. Remember the skillet pan and all of the flavor left behind? Hopefully, it has been simmering along. This is the time to continue building flavors by adding minced garlic, cilantro, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice before returning the meat and seafood to the pan for it all to come together. 

STEP FOUR. In the miracle of time (30 minutes in this case), shrimp and grits are done. Plate it up with the grits on bottom, the shrimp, sausage, and bacon next, and an extra pop of parsley on top for we indeed eat with our eyes. Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Now that I finally got around to making shrimp and grits, I realize the importance of getting it right as well as having another weapon in the arsenal for anytime - breakfast, lunch, dinner, or brunch. Allow me to throw my hat in the salt vs sugar debate on grits: In this application, salt is the ticket although I prefer sugar with my breakfast grits.

Y'know, country is as country does, cuz

It's finna be on and popping pic.twitter.com/1vgNzEInpO

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) May 1, 2022

Thanks for reading this post! Feel free to try it out if you've never made this recipe, and yes, the grits here are cheesy. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!