Genuine Southern Cornbread
My grandmother, Ellie Neill, from Missississippi, always made the best cornbread. I am sharing the secret to her delicious recipe in today’s post.
Down in the South, we fix cornbread all the time. We love it with chili, stews, soups, white beans and ham, greens, etc. It is perfect for dipping and soaking up the yummy flavors of the broth in these dishes. In fact, my grandfather, Durwood, used to soak his cornbread in buttermilk as a late-night snack.
So, where did cornbread originate?
History of Cornbread
Corn and the use of corn in cooking originated with the Native Americans. They would mix the cornmeal with water to create cakes and porridge. When the Europeans settled in the Americas, they added their eggs and milk to the cornmeal, since wheat wasn’t readily available, to create breads.
Enslaved people received cornmeal as rations because it was inexpensive. They, in turn, used it to make hoecakes, ashecakes, and cornbread.
People love cornbread throughout all of America. In the North, recipes for cornbread call for sugar or honey. But in the South, we leave out the sweetener.
Cornbread recipes are passed down through the generations. My grandmother’s recipe is no different.
Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- Bacon grease
- Eggs
- Self-rising cornmeal
- Buttermilk
Instructions
Place a tablespoon of bacon grease in a cold cast-iron skillet. Put the skillet in the oven as it preheats to 450ºF.
Meanwhile, put 2 cups of cornmeal in a bowl with three eggs. Pour buttermilk in a little at a time. Stir. Continue adding buttermilk until the mixture gets to a thick, runny consistency.
Once the oven preheats, remove the skillet. Be careful! The pan is HOT! Pour the cornbread mixture into the pan. It will sizzle. This sizzling is the secret to a crisp, delectable cornbread crust.
Place the skillet back into the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove and enjoy!
Genuine Southern Cornbread
Equipment
- 1 Cast-iron skillet
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp bacon grease
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- 3 eggs
- buttermilk
Instructions
- Place a tablespoon of bacon grease in a cold cast iron skillet. Put the skillet in the oven as it preheats to 450ºF.
- Meanwhile, put 2 cups of cornmeal in a bowl.
- Add 3 eggs.
- Pour buttermilk in a little at a time. Stir. Continue adding buttermilk until the mixture gets to a thick, runny consistency.
- Once the oven is preheated, remove the skillet. Be careful! The pan is HOT! Pour the cornbread mixture into the pan. It will sizzle.
- Place the skillet back into the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove and enjoy!
This recipe guarantees to be your go-to for cornbread. It is so fast and straightforward! We know you will enjoy it!
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Genuine Southern Cornbread
- About the Author
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I’ve always loved gardening and recently started gardening full-time. I also enjoy tending to our chickens, dogs, and other family pets (a bird, a snake, and rabbits).
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