Steel Cut Oatmeal with Buttermilk

My friend Elizabeth recently made steel cut oats in a slow cooker and posted it on her blog. I had every intention of making her recipe, because I love the idea of waking up to a hot cooked breakfast. But then, because I have the attention span of a goldfish, I was totally distracted by this recipe. I liked the idea of toasting the oats before cooking them and the addition of buttermilk. So I made this one instead. And it was delightful. The texture was creamy and pleasantly chewy, plus the tangy buttermilk was perfect with the little touch of sweetness from the sugar.

If I can stay focused, maybe I'll make the slow cooker oatmeal next week. Of course by then my muddled brain will have moved on to something else, like whatever food is on the next cooking show I happen to watch. Or maybe the show after that. Or probably the show after that one. I could go on all day (until something else distracts me).

STEEL CUT OATMEAL WITH BUTTERMILK

Yield: 3-4 servings

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup steel cut oats

3 cups boiling water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1.      In a large sauce pot, melt the butter; add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to toast. Add the boiling water and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for 25 minutes, without stirring.

2.      Mix in the salt. Combine the milk and half of the buttermilk with the oatmeal. Stir gently to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.      Spoon into a serving bowl and top with brown sugar, cinnamon and remaining buttermilk.

from Alton Brown

steel cut oats

I agree with my friend Elizabeth, they look like
something you'd feed the goats at the petting zoo.

 Throw out those rolled oats in your cabinet
(actually, don't...use those to make cookies).
But if you're making oatmeal, try steel cut or
Scottish oats instead (they taste better and
they're better for you too).

The Bob's Red Mill package says they're also known as
Irish or Pinhead Oats. It also says they're high in protein.

melting the butter

toasting the oats

adding the boiling water

simmering (without stirring)

25 minutes later...adding the salt

mixing in the salt

adding the milk and half the buttermilk

mixed

10 minutes later

nicely thickened

plain steel cut oats

sprinkled with a little cinnamon and
brown sugar (actually, I used maple sugar)

pouring on buttermilk

mixing it all in

I thought it might be too loose, but it
thickens more as it sits. It was great.

creamy and delicious!

.