Barley Grits Porridge with Pork Cracklings and Onion
When I was a child, my grandmother in the village cooked the simplest dishes. Mostly this came down to being busy and having no time for long, complicated cooking. Porridges were a regular thing – millet, barley grits, buckwheat. Still, these porridges were usually hearty, thanks to pork cracklings, bits of meat, vegetables or just plain butter. Or milk and honey went into the porridge – I especially love dishes like that.
Barley grits, known colloquially as “yachka”, are a very common ingredient for porridge. In “harsh” army catering, porridge made from finely crushed pearl barley is known as “kirza”. Oh gods! Thank goodness that's over! A sticky, gluey porridge with practically no taste. You could only eat it if at least some butter went in. That porridge never came out smooth and was full of lumps resembling the bumps on army boots – hence the nickname.
Barley grits are simply crushed pearl barley. To my taste, as long as the grits are not ground down to flour, they make an excellent ingredient. Besides, good grits cook just like regular pearl barley, there's nothing tricky about it. You can easily make either a fluffy or a creamy porridge from them without risking a jelly-like mass.
Barley grits porridge cooked in water is usually made separately and then mixed with add-ins – meat, vegetables, dried fruit – which gives you an incredibly tasty dish. The cooked grits serve as a base that is easy to take in whatever direction and flavor you want. Notably, you can cook barley grits exactly the same way as buckwheat or rice. What matters is keeping the right ratio of grits to water.
You can find high-quality grits made from crushed pearl barley in stores. The pieces are 1-1.5 mm in size, and there is no visible “flour” in them. These grits suit our purposes best.
How to cook barley grits porridge in water: it's easy. Whole pearl barley grains are quite hard and are usually soaked in cold water before boiling. Crushed grits cook perfectly well without soaking. And if you like, you can make them fluffy or creamy. For cooking dishes, it's best to boil them al dente, then mix with the add-ins and briefly steam everything together under a lid.
Ingredients
2 servings
- Barley grits 1 cup
- Pork fatback 100 g
- Onion 3-4
- Salt, black pepper to taste
Step-by-step recipe
- Fluffy barley grits porridge comes from coarsely crushed pearl barley without much fine flour in it. If you like, you can lightly toast the dry grits in a hot dry skillet until they smell pleasant. But don't overdo it. There's no need to soak the grits – they will cook perfectly well as they are.
- The grits need to be cooked until almost done. For the best result, the ratio of water to grits should be one cup of grits to two cups of water. More water will make the porridge sticky and a bit “slimy”, while less won't let it cook until soft. Pour two cups of water into a pot and add a small pinch of salt. Once the water comes to a boil, add the grits and stir.
- Turn the heat down to the minimum and cover the pot with a lid. The water should barely simmer. By the way, grits are often just put into a thermos and covered with boiling water – they cook until soft perfectly well this way. Cook the grits until the liquid is completely absorbed and the porridge is soft. Usually you need to stir it 2-3 times while it cooks so it doesn't stick to the pot. Once it's done, wrap the pot in a blanket and leave it for 20-30 mins.
- Meanwhile, you can prepare the add-ins for the porridge. My grandmother in the village often fried pork cracklings with lots of onion. Cut a piece of good pork fatback into cubes – larger than for salads. It's better to remove the rind, even if it's very tasty and pretty. Heat a skillet and fry the cracklings in it. They should turn golden and slightly crispy. Pour off almost all of the rendered fat – no more than 2 tbsp should remain.
- Peel the onions and cut them lengthwise into very thick strips, 10-15 mm wide. It's better to remove the onion cores and save them for soup. Add the sliced onion to the cracklings in the skillet. Stirring constantly, fry the onion with the cracklings in the pork fat until the pieces are soft and lightly golden. The onion turns sweet and very tasty. I remember that as kids we loved eating it with fresh bread.
- By now the barley grits porridge is ready – the grains are almost dry, soft and with no trace of stickiness. I especially like them cooked al dente. Add the cooked grits to the skillet and mix thoroughly. Salt to taste and season the porridge generously with pepper. Stir again and let it stand over low heat under a lid for 10 mins. After that it's completely done.
- If the barley grits porridge with cracklings and onion is served as a dish on its own, simply spoon it onto suitable plates and serve. It also makes a very good side dish for meat or pork patties – put it on the plate next to the main dish. Serve the porridge hot, that's when it tastes best.
- If the dish was made in advance, reheat it in a skillet under a lid for 4-5 mins, or in the microwave. The best result comes from using bacon or fatback with streaks of meat – the cooking sequence is exactly the same.
Yield: 2 servings Calories: 130 Prep: 45 mins Cooking: 15 mins Ready in: 1 h Category: Main Dishes Cuisine: European Rating: