Cornbread in a cast-iron skillet

[UAbandalum]

I've been told I've never had good cornbread until I've had it made in a cast-iron skillet.  Can anyone confirm this?

Forgive me for not having had this before now - I was *SO* deprived as a child 

Seriously, I hear it's excellent.  Just wanted everyone else's take on it.

[prairiehog]

That is the only way I cook it! You have to heat up the grease in the skillet before you put the buttermilk mix in. 

[ColinRagan]

I say it ain't cornbread unless it is cooked in a cast iron skillet.  You do have to heat the grease in the skillet first though.  That way you get a nice crispy crust on the outside.  Bacon grease is the best.

[Lanny]

No such thing as cornbread unless it's made in a Cast Iron Skillet.

[abq]

Well, give us the recipe dammit!

[Jim Harris]

I've been told I've never had good cornbread until I've had it made in a cast-iron skillet. Can anyone confirm this?

Forgive me for not having had this before now - I was *SO* deprived as a child

Seriously, I hear it's excellent. Just wanted everyone else's take on it.

that is correct, you've never had corn bread until you've had it from a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.

[T-hawg]

HOT WATER CORNBREAD   

2 c. plain meal
1 qt. boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable oil or solid
1 smooth cooking iron skillet

Put meal in medium bowl. Add salt and then add water gradually until mixture is mixed well, but not too thin. May not need all water. Heat grease in skillet when grease is hot. Spoon bread in skillet, let brown well before turning. Cook on medium heat. Very good southern recipe.

This is a recipe that takes practice. Luckily the ingredients do not cost much, so it can be mastered for a little amount of money. This is a recipe that my grandmother game me. Hope you like it.  :razorback:

[abq]

HOT WATER CORNBREAD   

2 c. plain meal
1 qt. boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable oil or solid
1 smooth cooking iron skillet

Put meal in medium bowl. Add salt and then add water gradually until mixture is mixed well, but not too thin. May not need all water. Heat grease in skillet when grease is hot. Spoon bread in skillet, let brown well before turning. Cook on medium heat. Very good southern recipe.

This is a recipe that takes practice. Luckily the ingredients do not cost much, so it can be mastered for a little amount of money. This is a recipe that my grandmother game me. Hope you like it. :razorback:

Thanks! Have to try that with some gumbo this weekend.

[HairyHog]

If it isn't made in a cast iron skillet, it is Yankee cornbread.

My wife always uses a small amout of plain flour. 

Don't forget the Cane Syrup.

[Snort and Squeal]

Even better, crumble the bacon up and put it into the mix along with Jalapenos if you like spice.  It is the Shiznit...

[PigsEye]

HOT WATER CORNBREAD   

2 c. plain meal
1 qt. boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable oil or solid
1 smooth cooking iron skillet

Put meal in medium bowl. Add salt and then add water gradually until mixture is mixed well, but not too thin. May not need all water. Heat grease in skillet when grease is hot. Spoon bread in skillet, let brown well before turning. Cook on medium heat. Very good southern recipe.

This is a recipe that takes practice. Luckily the ingredients do not cost much, so it can be mastered for a little amount of money. This is a recipe that my grandmother game me. Hope you like it.  :razorback:

Do you use self rising or do you add baking powder/soda?  Seems like that would be one flat pan of cornbread.

My cornbread recipe:
BTW, I don't use measuring cups, so this is an estimate.
2 cups self rising yellow cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sweet milk
1/8 cup oil
1 egg 
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Mix it all together.
I adjust the milk as needed to get a consistency slightly thinner than cake batter. 
While you're mixing, put a pat of bacon grease in your cast iron, turn the oven on 350 and put the skillet in to preheat as the oven preheats.  When preheated, remove skillet and swirl the grease around.  If the mix doesn't sizzle when you pour it in, you didn't heat the skillet long enough.  Keep that in mind for the next time.  I usually cook mine about 30 minutes.

I have some variations.  I've got some ground Hatch chile that I'll throw in sometimes.
I rarely use all buttermilk with no sweet milk, I don't like the consistency.  I'd rather use buttermilk self-rising mix and all sweet milk versus all buttermilk.
If I'm making the cornbread for cornbread dressing, I'll substitute 1/4 cup flour for 1/4 cup meal and use 2 eggs.

The best, if you have one, is the cast iron skillet that make sticks of cornbread that look like ears of corn.  You can get the right crunch on the bottom and the right insides everytime.

[T-hawg]

I like mine dense. It is Fluffy but it also doesnt fall apart easy.

[UAbandalum]

I'll give these a whirl - thanks guys - my mouth is watering just reading these recipes!

[Swino]

I'll throw mine in as well

2 cups white corn meal mix
1/4 cup of oil
1 cup of shredded sharp chedder cheese
1-4 Tablespoons of diced jalapeno's
1 & a 1/3 cup of milk
1 egg
1 small can of cream style corn

first, put the oil in the skillet and insert into oven.  THEN turn the oven on to 425. 
The oven and oil need to preheat for 9 minutes.  While the oven is preheating, put the ingredients into a bowl and mix together.  don't start mixing until the all ingredients are in the bowl.  After mixed, pull the skillet out of the oven and quickly pour into the bowl containing the other ingredients.  Give it a quick stir and pour into the frying pan. 
Cook for 25-30 minutes.

[Jimmy]

Ditto on the seasoned cast iron skillet, white corn meal and buttermilk.  That thick, sweet, cakey stuff in an aluminum pan is yankee johnny cake.  It was the cause of the Civil War.

[MizK]

I like it both ways!! So does that make me a Southern Yankee?

I have to admit--it tastes best when its made in a iron skillet and crumbled over a nice big bowl of beans! Yum!

[yeahfairly]

Once you're addicted to the Cast Iron Skillet cornbread, go and buy yourself a Dutch Oven and a bag of charcoal! Learning to cook in the Dutch oven is easy and it makes everything taste sooooo much better! Hint for the cornbread...... add some pork crackilings!

[HedgeDweller]

Two absolutes you MUST use:

Cast iron skillet
Bacon grease

No sugar unless you want to call it 'cake' instead of 'cornbread'.
I actually prefer the yellow cornmeal, but either one will do as long as no sugar is involved....

[DeltaBoy]

Yes sir it is great!  Get cornbread mix and follow the instructions on the box. Grease skillet well and pour in mix into preheated oven and follow the cooking recommendations.  I have also fixed it this way on the stove top you cover it with a cast iron lid and cook on med heat checking regularly until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Make sure you have a seasoned skillet the older and blacker the better!

[maniax22bolts20]

Once you're addicted to the Cast Iron Skillet cornbread, go and buy yourself a Dutch Oven and a bag of charcoal! Learning to cook in the Dutch oven is easy and it makes everything taste sooooo much better! Hint for the cornbread...... add some pork crackilings!

cracklin bread is good if made right. Ever had fry bread ? real cooked pork sausage/bacon and purple hull peas added to the cast iron skillet cornbread recipie are a taste wonder.

[DeltaBoy]

Boys it is a good weekend to have some good hot Cornbread!

[PigPusher]

Had a young lady waitress almost throw up when we asked for milk so we could have cornbread and milk.  She was from Michigan.

Cornbread and milk with diced green onions.  Yummy!

[DeltaBoy]

Had a young lady waitress almost throw up when we asked for milk so we could have cornbread and milk.  She was from Michigan.

Cornbread and milk with diced green onions.  Yummy!

Stop it your making me Hungery!

[DeltaBoy]

From the Paul harvey Radio show website

http://www.paulharvey.com/index.aspx?id=3183

[J. Green]

I add a can of corn (drained) and a can of rotel to the mix ... pour half of it in the skillet.. then add a layer of sliced cheese.... then cover the cheese with the remaining cornbread mix... after ya cook it, let it set for a spell to set the cheese back up .. excellent..

[V. V. Hawg]

can't help, i've never had it when it wasn't baked in a cast iron skillet.

Me either.  Sorry

[PigPusher]

Going to try the iron skillet thing tonight. Can't wait.

[HogBaptist]

Had a young lady waitress almost throw up when we asked for milk so we could have cornbread and milk.  She was from Michigan.

Cornbread and milk with diced green onions.  Yummy!

my grandfather loves it.  he's in a nursing home, but when we go to see him, we always bring him a few slices of cornbread.

[Dr. Hogenstein]

Had a young lady waitress almost throw up when we asked for milk so we could have cornbread and milk.  She was from Michigan.

Cornbread and milk with diced green onions.  Yummy!

That is exactly what my granny, dad, and uncles used to do.  the cornbread was made in the cast-iron skillet.  Then they would crumble it into a glass and pour milk or buttermilk over it and eat it with a spoon.  I thought it was weird when I was a kid but man is it good.

[go hogues]

How do they make it at cock of the walk?  That's my favorite cornbread.

[PigPusher]

Going to try the iron skillet thing tonight. Can't wait.

Well we did in fact try it last night and we loved that crust on the bottom.  Did have one question though.  We cooked ours at 350. Would it be better at a higher temp?

[DeltaBoy]

Three-Fifty is all the heat you need.

[SteveInArk]

Three-Fifty is all the heat you need.

That's where my mom cooked her's (350 deg)... she is long gone to a better place, but my wife and I use her old cast iron skillet all the time...  the one I remember growing up... good cornbread.  Unfortunely, better appreciated now more than back then...  some of us learn things late in life!

[hawgfandude]

Ditto on the seasoned cast iron skillet, white corn meal and buttermilk.  That thick, sweet, cakey stuff in an aluminum pan is yankee johnny cake.  It was the cause of the Civil War.

LMAO

[hawgfandude]

Once you're addicted to the Cast Iron Skillet cornbread, go and buy yourself a Dutch Oven and a bag of charcoal! Learning to cook in the Dutch oven is easy and it makes everything taste sooooo much better! Hint for the cornbread...... add some pork crackilings!

You have never had cobbler until you have cobbler made in a Dutch oven.

[PigPusher]

You have never had cobbler until you have cobbler made in a Dutch oven.

Or an iron skillet??