Southern Bacon Fat Cornbread Food

SKILLET CORNBREAD WITH BACON FAT AND BROWN SUGAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Whisk the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and brown sugar in another bowl until smooth.
• Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
• Heat the bacon fat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet until liquid. Swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet, then pour the rest into the batter.
• Whisk the batter until smooth, then pour into the hot skillet. Immediately transfer to the oven.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

GRANDMA'S BACON FAT CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs together in a medium bowl. Fold the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture until just combined; set aside.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is smoking-hot, turn off the heat and add the fat, carefully stirring it around the pan as it melts. Pour the melted fat into the cornmeal batter and stir to combine. (Do not wipe out the skillet.) Pour the cornmeal mixture into the hot skillet (batter will sizzle) and bake until the edges are golden brown and the center bounces back when pressed with a finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SOUTHERN STYLE CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 8-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon fat (or vegetable oil) in heating oven.
• Measure 1/3 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Mix remaining cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.
• Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/3 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg. When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot bacon fat (or melted butter) from the skillet into the batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and instantly turn cornbread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.
• Note: Though it is preferable to make cornbread in a preheated cast-iron skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or 9-inch square baking pan, greased lightly with butter and not preheated, will also produce acceptable results if you double the recipe and bake the bread for 25 minutes.

LOW-FAT CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
• Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until light golden brown on top. Serve warm or cool.

HUSK CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside.
• In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
• Combine 4 tablespoons of the lard, the egg and the buttermilk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth.
• Move the skillet from the oven to the stove top, over high heat. Add the remaining lard to the pan and swirl to coat. Pour in the batter; it should sizzle vigorously. Shake the skillet to distribute it evenly. Cook 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• To make large croutons (to serve as a base for greens, poached eggs, etc.), let the cornbread cool in the pan, then turn out and cut into 2-inch pieces. (If using in soup or beans, cut into 1/2-inch cubes.) Arrange on a baking sheet and dry overnight in the turned-off oven, lightly covered with foil. Remove.
• When ready to serve, heat oven to 425 degrees and place a rimmed baking sheet inside to heat. Add the bacon fat and swirl to coat. Gently turn the cornbread pieces in it, spreading them out, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until brown and crisp. Serve hot.

CORNBREAD... SOUTHERN BACON CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Coat an 8x8 baking dish or use your cast iron corn bread skillet.
• In a large bowl mix in the cornmeal, flour, bacon bits, baking power, salt and pepper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, honey, brown sugar and oil. Stir in the corn. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until completely moistened, do not over mix.
• Pour into prepared baking dish or cast iron pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve.

BACON CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Grease 9-inch round pan or 8-inch square pan.
• Stir together all ingredients; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Pour into pan.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.