Joel Chandler Harris’s Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Serves 8

Source: The South, The Beautiful Cookbook

3 c white cornmeal
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 1 tsp salt
1 ½ c milk, at room temp
2 eggs, at room temp
2 tbl bacon drippings or veggie shortening

For the traditional Southern Variation:
1 ½ c buttermilk at room temp
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

For the Cracklin’ Variation:
8oz salt pork, cut into ¼” dice

Preheat an oven to 450°F
In large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Measure the in a 2c measuring cup and lightly beat in the eggs. Pour into the dry ingredients, stirring until just blended. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.

In a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat the bacon drippings or shortening until it just begins to smoke. Spoon the batter into the hot skillet and smooth the surface. Using oven mitts, set the skillet on the middle oven rack. Bake until golden brown 18 to 20 min. Invert on plate and serve warm.

To make the traditional southern cornbread, use the buttermilk instead of the milk and replace the 2 ½ tsp of baking powder with 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp baking soda. Follow the recipe as directed from the point at which you make the batter

To make the cracklin’ cornbread, in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, fry the diced salt pork until almost all the fat has been rendered, 20 to 30 min. Reduce continue to cook stirring the cracklings occasionally until the fat in the skillet barely moves and the cracklin’s are crisp and well browned. 10- 15 min. using a slotted spoon, transfer the cracklin’s to a paper towel to drain thoroughly. Carefully pour off the excess fat and prepare the batter, following the recipe. Stir the cracklings into the corn bread batter f or even distribution. And follow recipe.

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