My Tweaked (to hell and back) Southern Style Cornbread

Not so very long ago, I always made my southern style corn bread just like my grandmother made hers, who had passed down the recipe to my mother, who gave me the recipe. And all was well ... that is, I thought all was well.  You see, REAL southern style cornbread did not contain ANY flour whatsoever, and it was made from WHITE corn ONLY, not yellow corn ... EVER.  Along with the constraints of the type of cornmeal used, we also had to use only Perkerson's Stone Ground White Cornmeal, (not self rising), to make the perfect cake of cornbread or corn sticks.

There were other factors that also played a big part in whether your cornbread was a good cake or not.  You had to use a well seasoned black iron skillet, or you could use corn stick irons, and always, let me stress ALWAYS, fresh bacon drippings, and fresh whole buttermilk.  Those were the basic ingredients that would determine whether your cornbread was exceptional or not.

In 2008, with the radical very negative changes in our economic system, <cough>, that caused so many businesses to go under, Perkerson's Cornmeal fell prey to it all and went out of business.  I tried my best to find an exceptional cornmeal to replace what had been for years, a household name in my family, but I was unable to find a substitute that I liked.  I just could not imagine eating turnip greens, collard greens, mustard greens, and beans without a cake of my grandmother's cornbread made by me and with all those wonderful ingredients.  This really had me bothered, but I wasn't going to let these changes keep me from enjoying foods that I loved.

So, after lots of experimenting and tweaking, and research on healthy choices, I came up with a cake of cornbread I can live with.  It does not have the good ol' flavor that my grandmother's and mother's cornbread had, because I have stopped using bacon drippings in my cornbread now, which was part of what made the flavor so good.  I still use whole buttermilk though, and a brand that has NO guar gum or gums of any kind in it.  Just pure wholesome ingredients is all.

Anyway, I never could find in our area a plain stone ground cornmeal that I liked, so to keep from pulling what's left of my hair out, I finally settled for using White Lily's Cornmeal ... MIX.  <cringe>  There, I said it!  It even has flour in it too!!  <really laughing out loud here>  Okay, okay, I know this was a HUGE change for me, but what's a mother to do when things are changing so fast out there?  I at least can still laugh about it, and will continue to eat the foods I love with a cake of my Tweaked (to hell and back) Southern Style Cornbread that I can say with no doubt, is better for ya than using bacon drippings!  :o

By the way, this cornbread is enjoyed so much more if you dunk it in the pot likker.  Now if you don't know what pot likker is, then you don't have any business eating cornbread!  LOL!

Ingredients:

2 cups White Lily Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix (self rising)
1 egg beaten
1 1/2 cups Whole Buttermilk (without any gums or other additives!)
1/4 cup olive oil (EVOO)
1 8" or 9" well seasoned iron skillet, (or iron corn stick pan), greased with coconut oil, (not shortening!)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees:

Grease liberally your skillet with the solidified coconut oil and place in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating.

In a small glass bowl, beat one egg and set aside.

Pour your Cornmeal mix into a medium size mixing bowl, and add the buttermilk, the olive oil, and beaten egg.  Stir lightly.  This batter is suppose to be lumpy so don't over stir it.  Once oven is preheated, take out the hot skillet.

Pour batter into your hot iron skillet and listen to the sizzle!  Okay, now place the skillet in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven.  Take a butter knife and run it around the outside of the cake loosening it from the sides of the skillet.  Once you get it loose, turn it onto a 10" plate and serve with your greens and beans!  It's even good with a bowl of homemade vegetable soup.  I have the best recipe for Smoked Turkey Legs and Collard Greens that goes perfectly with this cornbread, so check it out also!

~Enjoy~