As Country as Cornbread
I think the name says it all. There are very few dishes that are as synonymous to southern cooking as the humble cornbread. There is also no other dish as highly debated. How can cornbread cause an argument you ask? This staple is found all over the south and just about every family has their own recipe and each claims superiority over the other. Even the origins of cornbread are debated by historians. It is not just the matter of which recipe tastes better (more on that in a minute), but also the manner of how to properly eat the cornbread that can cause contention. Being a “dunker” or a “crumbler” of cornbread into pot likker (or is it liquour, or maybe it was milk?!) was even once considered a viable question to political candidates.
Now back to the recipe debate. Like I said there are many debates on cornbread such as flour vs no flour, but the biggest is over sugar. Are you a sweetened or unsweetened fan? Some say that you MUST add sugar to your cornbread recipe, while others say that it is more akin to mortal sin do even THINK of such a thing.
No matter what your stance is on which ingredients make the best cornbread, I am confident that there is one thing we can agree on, cornbread will always be one of the best dishes on the table!
Here is what you need:
10” cast iron pan
2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs (reserved) melted lard
Now lets put it together
Preheat your oven to 400 and heat your pan for at least 10 min
In a bowl whisk your cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
Add in your buttermilk, egg, and 1/4 cup lard, stir until just incorporated
Remove pan from oven and add the reserved Tbs lard, swirling to evenly coat
Add batter mixture to pan and spread evenly
Return pan to oven for 12-15 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.