Grillades & Grits is a Creole classic and a favorite New Orleans breakfast/brunch dish, but it's great any time of day: pan-fried medallions of beef or veal braised in tomato-y gravy and served with your favorite grits. Its name is French, but the dish has some things in common with polenta and braised meat sauce in Italian cooking. 

2 meal-sized, or 4 brunch-sized, servings

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 or 4 garlic cloves, chopped very fine
1 pound round of veal or beef, cut into ~2-inch squares
Enough flour to generously coat meat 
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cups chopped onions
1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup water or more as needed
Packaged grits
Chopped green onions for garnish

Make sure the meat is well-trimmed. Using a mallet, pound out meat to about double in area (2-inch squares to 4-inch squares)

Mix salt, black pepper, cayenne, and chopped garlic in a small bowl to form a paste. Rub over the pieces for meat, then give one more round of pounding.

Add butter and olive oil to large heavy skillet over medium heat. Generously coat the pounded meat pieces with flour. When the butter is melted and hot, add floured meat and cook until well browned. Remove browned meat from pan and keep at hand. 

Add the onions, celery, green pepper, and tomato to the hot pan. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened.

Add 3/4 cup water to the pan, and stir to form a broth. Taste the broth and add salt if needed. Then return the meat to the pan. Cover loosely, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Briefly uncover and turn the meat over at 10 minute intervals, until the meat is tender, about an hour. Add a little more water if the sauce thickens to much. If the sauce isn't thickening enough, remove the cover to allow some evaporation.

Prepare 2-2.5 cups (cooked) packaged old-fashioned grits according to package instructions, with butter and salt to your liking.

Pour the hot grillades and gravy over the grits. Garnish with green onions. Eat.