Smoked Cornbread Food

SMOKED CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a small pan and saute the thyme but don't let it burn. Just heat it enough to bring out the flavor and just until the leaves are wilted and soft. Set aside.
• First the dry ingredients: Sift together the cornmeal salt, baking powder, sugar, paprika and flour. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and eggs in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, while simultanously adding in the milk. Once that forms a sauce, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, add in the cheddar cheese and fresh thyme folding in gently by hand.
• Pour the entire mixture into a Pyrex baking dish and bake, covered, at 350 for 30 minutes, but check after 20 minutes. It is done when a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean.

COLLARD GREENS WITH SMOKED TURKEY AND WHOLE GRAIN BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

Steps:

• For the whole grain buttermilk cornbread: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the fat in a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet or ovenproof baking dish and heat in the oven until sizzling, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the cornmeal, baking soda and salt. In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and egg. Add the buttermilk combination to the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine.
• Remove the heated skillet from the oven and carefully pour the hot fat into the batter. Stir to combine, and then pour the batter back into the hot skillet. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool slightly. Cut with a serrated knife just before serving.
• For the collard greens: While the cornbread is baking, stack several collard leaves at a time and cut into 1/4-inch strips; repeat until all the leaves are shredded.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until clear and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the greens, stock, vinegar, red pepper flakes, bay leaf and turkey; season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until the greens are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. If desired, shred the meat off the turkey drumstick to serve with the collards.
• Serve immediately with hot buttered cornbread.

MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAGE, SMOKED BACON, AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack.
• Combine the butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated and the butter has flecks of green in it; season with salt and pepper.
• In a saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of the sage butter, add the onions, cook and stir for 15 minutes until soft and golden. Remove from heat. Put the cornbread in a large mixing bowl and scrape the sauteed onion mixture on top. Add the egg, heavy cream, and just enough chicken stock to moisten the stuffing without making it soggy (about 1/2 cup.) Toss well to combine, season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the neck and gizzards from the inside of the turkey and discard. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. Fill the bird with the cornbread stuffing without packing too tightly; cook the remaining stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish. Truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put into the oven.
• Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit; use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. The turkey should take about 3 hours to cook (i.e. 15 to 20 minutes per pound.) If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil.
• About 2 hours into cooking, shingle the strips of bacon oven the turkey breast to cover; continue to roast and baste for another hour or so. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F (the thigh juices will also run clear when pricked with a knife.) Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat.
• Skim off the excess fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and place the roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper and hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove any particles. Serve the gravy with the maple-roasted turkey and cornbread stuffing.

SMOKED BACON & ONION SWEET CORNBREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Sift together until thoroughly mixed.
• In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, fry up your 4 strips of thick cut bacon. Chop them up into small pieces and put them into separate mixing bowl.
• Chop the green onions and add them to the mixing bowl with the bacon. Now add in the milk, eggs and 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
• Now pour the wet ingredients into the larger mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix these together. Set the batter aside.
• Get your smoker going. You'll want to get this hotter than you usually do. We'll need it up to about 375. Put your cast iron skillet in right away, so it's good and hot when you pour the batter inches I used apple wood for this cornbread, but you can use what ever wood you prefer.
• Note: Remove the water pan to allow more heat. I also had to open the side door on my Webber Smoky Mountain vertical smoker a couple of times to get it hot enough. It would start dropping back down towards 350, then I would open the door again for about 1 minute to get it moving back up.
• Once it's up to temperature, pour the batter into the skillet, close it up, and maintain this temperature as best as possible. (If you have an electric smoker, this shouldn't be any problem!).
• This should take about a half hour to cook. Stick a toothpick into the center of the cornbread. If it comes out clean, it's done. Another indicator of it being done is that the sides should start pulling away from the pan.
• Take it off and serve it up in the skillet. It will stay nice and warm sitting in the skillet!