Farm to Fork Friday: Hard Rock Hotel’s savory shrimp and grits recipe
IT IS A SOUTHERN STAPLE. AND ON THIS WEEK’S FARM TO FORK FRIDAY, KCRA 3’S LISA GONZALES SHOWS US HOW THE CHEFS AT THE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO MAKE THIS SAVORY COMFORT FOOD. ON THIS WEEK’S FARM TO FORK FRIDAY, WE ARE WITH THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE DIRECTOR FROM THE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO SACRAMENTO JARED HIPP. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. SO YOU’RE ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY FROM MISSISSIPPI? MISSISSIPPI IS HOME FOR ME. SO I SPENT 30 YEARS THERE. I GOT MY CASINO CAREER STARTED IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. AND YOU KNOW, WE’RE BRINGING THE SOUTH AND A LITTLE BIT OF CAJUN FLAIR AND CUISINE TO TODAY’S SEGMENT. OKAY. AND SO YOU’RE GOING TO TEACH US HOW TO MAKE REAL SHRIMP AND GRITS. YEAH. AND, YOU KNOW, SUCH AN INCREDIBLE DISH AND REALLY ELEVATED HERE BECAUSE WE’RE IN SUCH A GREAT FARM TO FORK AREA. WE CAN GET THINGS LIKE LOCAL BUTTERS, LOCAL CHEESES, GREAT FRESH PRODUCE AND EVEN FARM RAISED PORK. YOU KNOW, JUST FROM HERE LOCALLY. AND YOU PUT A LITTLE PORK BELLY IN THIS AS WELL. I MEAN, THAT’S EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE PART. SO SHOW US THE REAL WAY TO MAKE A GREAT SHRIMP AND GRITS LIKE WE’RE IN THE SOUTH. WHAT DO WE START? HOW DO WE START? WELL, FIRST YOU GOT TO START WITH YOUR GRITS, RIGHT? A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST ADD WATER TO THEIR GRITS. YOU KNOW, WE’RE STARTING WITH A CHICKEN STOCK BASE HERE. JUST ADD THAT EXTRA UMAMI, THAT EXTRA KICK OF FLAVOR. WE’RE GOING IN THERE WITH A LOCAL CHEESE TO KIND OF GIVE IT THAT UPSCALE, THAT CREAMINESS THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR. WHAT KIND OF CHEESE? WE’RE GOING WITH A LOCAL GRUYERE STYLE CHEESE TODAY, WHICH IS EXCELLENT. THE THE SAUCE FOR THE SHRIMP IS A TRADITIONAL NEW ORLEANS STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE. SO PEOPLE HERE IN NEW ORLEANS STYLE BARBECUE SHRIMP, THERE’S NO BARBECUE SAUCE INVOLVED. IT’S A WORCESTERSHIRE LEMON JUICE, CAJUN SEASONING, BUTTER SAUCE THAT WE DO WITH THE SHRIMP. WE ADDED SOME FRESH TOMATO BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS WANT TO LOOK FOR WHAT’S IN SEASON. YOU KNOW, IT’S WE’RE COMING INTO THOSE WARMER MONTHS NOW. TOMATOES ARE GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. AND YOU’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND THEM AT EVERY FARMER’S MARKET. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO WE STARTED WITH OUR GRITS AND START WITH THE CHICKEN STOCK. MAYBE ADD A LITTLE CHEESE. AND THEN HOW DO YOU PREPARE THE SHRIMP AND THE RENDER DOWN THAT PORK BELLY. AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF OIL. OIL IS GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER SMOKE POINT. SO THAT WAY YOU’RE NOT SMOKING UP YOUR KITCHEN. YOU DON’T HIT THAT BURNED FLAVOR FROM THE FROM THE FOOD. WE’LL ADD IN OUR SHRIMP OUR AROMATICS LIKE GARLIC, OUR FRESH VEGGIES. AND THEN WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ADD THE BUTTER AT THE END. RIGHT. AND SO WHEN YOU ADD THE BUTTER AT THE END, YOU WORK IT IN NICE AND SLOWLY IT EMULSIFIES THE SAUCE. SO THAT WAY YOU DON’T END UP WITH A SEPARATED SAUCE ON YOUR PLATE, BUTTER ONE WAY, SAUCE THE OTHER. NOW EVERYTHING IS EMULSIFIED AND IT JUST ALL COMES TOGETHER BEAUTIFULLY ON THE PLATE. OKAY, SO YOU PUT IN THE PORK BELLY AND THEN YOU ADD IN THE SHRIMP. WHAT ELSE DID YOU ADD IN? SO WE’VE GOT WALK US THROUGH THE SEASONINGS. YEAH WE’VE GOT GARLIC. WE’VE GOT FRESH LEMON JUICE IN THERE. WE’VE GOT WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE A LITTLE BIT OF WHITE WINE, A LITTLE BIT OF CHICKEN STOCK. AND THEN WE JUST KIND OF REDUCE THAT DOWN WITH THE SHRIMP. AND THEN WE JUST BRING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH THAT BUTTER AT THE END. OKAY. AND THEN YOU JUST PLATE IT AND IT’S JUST AMAZING. LOOKS LIKE WE’RE IN NEW ORLEANS OR MISSISSIPPI OR MISSISSIPPI. OR YOU COULD JUST GO TO THE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO. COME FIND US. SACRAMENTO. ALL RIGHT. IN WHEATLAND, THOUGH. THANK YOU S
Farm to Fork Friday: Hard Rock Hotel’s savory shrimp and grits recipe
Updated: 6:40 PM PDT Jun 27, 2025
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Shrimp and Grits! It’s a Southern staple.On this week’s Farm-to-Fork Friday, KCRA 3’s Lisa Gonzales shows us how the chefs at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, make the savory comfort food.Watch in the video player above.
WHEATLAND, Calif. —
Shrimp and Grits! It’s a Southern staple.
On this week’s Farm-to-Fork Friday, KCRA 3’s Lisa Gonzales shows us how the chefs at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, make the savory comfort food.
Watch in the video player above.