Southern Corn Bread

Back in the day a lot of people would use lard or bacon grease the the way we use vegetable or canola oil today. Crisco was regularly the oil of choice in our house hold and still is today. substitute any one of these to suit your taste. We eat cornbread with just about any meal, It is the preferred bread of the south.

Cornbread

1-1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup of oil, bacon fat, or shortening
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
10-inch cast iron skillet

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

If you are using vegetable oil:

1. Add about two tablespoons of the fat to the skillet, enough to coat the pan and swirl around in there. Put it in the oven to get hot.

2. In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients.

3. Pour your buttermilk into a big pyrex measuring cup. Add the egg and remaining oil, whisk a little bit with a fork to combine.

4. Pour wet ingredients into your bowl of dry ingredients, stir together. It will be kind of soupy, thinner than a cake batter. Take your skillet out of the oven (use the best mitts you have, it will be HOT) and then gently pour the batter into the sizzling hot skillet fat. Put it in the oven, bake for 25-30 minutes.