I Love Oat Groats: Irish Oatmeal

Get ready for winter. We might special order a fifty pound bag of oat groats from JAR baker's Supply Lincoln on Crow point Road. I love to drop in the raisins while the oats are simmering so they puff up. Sprinkle on home made GORP: cranberries, sunflowers, almonds, peanuts and raisins.

Steel Cut Oats are simply whole oat groats that have been cut into neat little pieces on a steel buhr mill. We use high protein, whole grain oats that have been lightly toasted to create our hearty steel cut oats. Also known as Irish oats or pinhead oats, steel cut oats create a chewy, full-bodied hot cereal.

Steel Cut Oats have always been a universal customer favorite at Bob’s Red Mill. Their robust oat flavor, texture and ease of preparation plus proven nutritious benefits and cholesterol reduction make them a perfect breakfast. A few years back we learned of the World Championship Porridge Competition in Scotland called the “Golden Spurtle.” At that point we had yet to discover the spurtle – a centuries-old Scottish wooden porridge stirring implement.

The Bob’s Red Mill team traveled to Carrbridge, Scotland to compete in the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Championship. We competed against fourteen other teams from around the globe. Our team’s belief in our porridge skills and our consistently superior oats never wavered. That crisp October morning all teams paraded through town behind a bagpipe band. After three heats of competition, we remained one of five finalists. All five finalists prepared their traditional recipe – oats, salt and water – for the judges. Finally, the announcement: “Bob’s Red Mill, is the new Golden Spurtle World Porridge Champion.”

The Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats we knew to be superior were now proven the “WORLD’S BEST”. The simple, winning recipe using oats, salt and water is on our package so you can make the World’s Best Oatmeal® at home.

We had so much fun at the Golden Spurtle, that we began The Spar for the Spurtle™: the ultimate oatmeal throw down so we could share the fun with our customers. Spar for the Spurtle™ asks customers to submit their recipes using steel cut oats for a chance to win a trip to Scotland to compete in the Golden Spurtle Championship on our behalf. Learn more about this fun competition at www.sparforthespurtle.com and throw your hat in the ring!

Oats are a notoriously healthy breakfast choice, being high in soluble fiber and protein. They are also incredibly versatile. Steel cut oats can be used to make risotto, pilaf, dumplings, arancini and more! Browse our extensive collection of recipes using our steel cut oats here.