# Two Batches of cast iron corn bread



## dirtsailor2003

Yesterday we had 10 family members over for Chili. Unfortunately most are not heat freaks like the wife and I so we had to tone down the spices a bit. To compensate I made a sweet cornbread, and a spicy Jalapeno corn bread. I used the same base recipe for both.

Recipe:

1 1/2  cups cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour (can use 2 cups cornmeal, I prefer the texture of the blend)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 egg

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 Tbsp bacon grease. (you can crumble the bacon up and add to bread if you like. I did not for this batch. You can substitute vegetable oil if you don't have bacon grease.

Directions:

Place the bacon grease or oil into your cold cast iron pan or dutch oven. Place cold pan or dutch oven into the oven and pre-heat to 400º

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over med heat.

While the oven and pan are preheating whisk together the dry ingredients. In another bowl mix together that wet ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Stir in melted butter.

If you are adding corn, jalapenos, cheese, bacon, berries, etc do so now. For my jalapeno corn bread I added 3 finely chopped jalapenos and two cups of thawed corn kernels.

Once the oven and pan reach 400º remove the pan (remember the handle is hot so I like to put a mitt on the handle so I don't forget!). Add the batter to the pan and spread out evenly. Use caution as the hot oil will spatter. Return pan to oven and bake until the edges brown and the a toothpick can be inserted in the center and come out clean. Approximately 20 minutes.

Let the bread rest in the pan15-20 minutes prior to slicing.

Enjoy!













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__ dirtsailor2003
__ Oct 28, 2013






Into the oven. Bread on the right is the jalapeno bread.













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__ dirtsailor2003
__ Oct 28, 2013






Fresh out of the oven! Sorry no sliced picks the crows were circling!













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__ dirtsailor2003
__ Oct 28, 2013






That's right in Oregon we put beans, meat, tomatoes, peppers and all kinds of stuff in our chili! We ain't afraid!


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## pgsmoker64

That looks fantastic Case!

Thanks for the recipe!

Bill


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## daveomak

Dirt, morning.....  Bride was just looking up CB recipes so I sent her yours......   That's about all the closer I'm allowed in the kitchen....  looking up recipes.....  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  ....

Dave


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## disco

Cornbread and chili! Wow that looks good.

My wife tells her friends I spend too much time on the computer looking at porn. Then she explains it is food porn from this forum. Qview like this is what she's talking about!

Disco


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## foamheart

> That's right in Oregon we put beans, meat, tomatoes, peppers and all kinds of stuff in our chili! We ain't afraid!


LOL.. I scrolled down saw that bean and thought OMG IT's A BEAN! Then I read the above and laughed.

And I thought cornbread was a southern thing, you live in southern Oregon? Next you'll be eating grits!


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## dirtsailor2003

PGSmoker64 said:


> That looks fantastic Case!
> 
> Thanks for the recipe!
> 
> Bill


Thanks Bill! Give it a try. I like to add bacon, but the bride wont touch pork!


DaveOmak said:


> Dirt, morning.....  Bride was just looking up CB recipes so I sent her yours......   That's about all the closer I'm allowed in the kitchen....  looking up recipes.....
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> Dave


I pretty much banned from baking, but I'm allowed in the rest of the kitchen!


Disco said:


> Cornbread and chili! Wow that looks good.
> 
> My wife tells her friends I spend too much time on the computer looking at porn. Then she explains it is food porn from this forum. Qview like this is what she's talking about!
> 
> Disco


Thanks Disco! This is corn bread porn!


Foamheart said:


> LOL.. I scrolled down saw that bean and thought OMG IT's A BEAN! Then I read the above and laughed.
> 
> And I thought cornbread was a southern thing, you live in southern Oregon? Next you'll be eating grits!


Foam we love grits! Last time the wife was down in Bama she brought back a big (not big enough cause its gone) bag of blue grits. Man those were awesome! One of our favorite breakfasts joints offers bacon cheddar grits as a side. I always get them even though I should probably get the fruit!!!!!


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## foamheart

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Foam we love grits! Last time the wife was down in Bama she brought back a big (not big enough cause its gone) bag of blue grits. Man those were awesome! One of our favorite breakfasts joints offers bacon cheddar grits as a side. I always get them even though I should probably get the fruit!!!!!


Correct me if I am wrong...... The blue "grits" are really polenta. The blue corn is flint corn a heritage type corn and I was learnt that flint corn means polenta, dent corn means grits. I am not a food anthropologist but sounded silly enough to be true.

I /PM'd you where i get mine and so far I have not been disappointed ....... Course I am just an old contry boy, I have eaten our own ground feed corn and it was good. Eggs, ham, grits, biscuits, gravy, jelly, coffee..... and I am done for the day! LOL

You might ask Kat, its her part of the country I bet she'll know 'em.


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## dirtsailor2003

Foamheart said:


> Correct me if I am wrong...... The blue "grits" are really polenta. The blue corn is flint corn a heritage type corn and I was learnt that flint corn means polenta, dent corn means grits. I am not a food anthropologist but sounded silly enough to be true.
> 
> I /PM'd you where i get mine and so far I have not been disappointed ....... Course I am just an old contry boy, I have eaten our own ground feed corn and it was good. Eggs, ham, grits, biscuits, gravy, jelly, coffee..... and I am done for the day! LOL
> 
> You might ask Kat, its her part of the country I bet she'll know 'em.



I couldn't tell ya! I just know they're tasty! I'll check out that link you pm'd sounds like a couple of suppliers I deal with when I'm building boats. I email my order, the stuff arrives with an invoice I mail the check! Not many that trusting anymore.


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## foamheart

They have grown up, they are not at all like that anymore....


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## woodcutter

Case, you never stop amazing me! Nice meal.


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## dirtsailor2003

Woodcutter said:


> Case, you never stop amazing me! Nice meal.



Thanks Todd! I can't take much credit for the chili, my fantastic wife was in charge of that. The next batch I'll make, the in laws don't like "spicy". I'm thinking a good smoked chuckie shredded, some of our smoked hatch chilis, oh yeah!!!! And in true PNW fashion beans tomatoes and whatever we can throw in the pot!


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## gwest77

We put the same thing in ours down here in Georgia, except in my cornbread I throw in whole kernel corn green chilies,onion and sweet red bell peppers diced up. oooweeee is it good.


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## GaryHibbert

Jees Foam

You're killing me with your breakfast menu

Gary


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## GaryHibbert

hey gwest

 sounds good.  how much of each do you add???  Want to try this.

Gary


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## gwest77

[h1]     Gary,[/h1]
         For a good size pan of cornbread I use two 4oz. cans of diced green chille peppers, small can of whole kernel corn, red bell pepper to your liking and onion, as much as you like and I really like onion. Put this in your meal and flour mix. Mix it up and put it in a hot iron pan with some oil preheated with it. bake it like your regular recipe. Most times I use butter milk in mine but it doesn't matter that much.


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## dirtsailor2003

GaryHibbert said:


> hey gwest
> sounds good.  how much of each do you add???  Want to try this.
> Gary



Gary for the batch I did in this thread I used two cups of the corn and several jalapeños. If I was going to add the bell peppers too I'd reduce the corn by a cup and add around a third cup each of red green and yellow bell peppers. We've also added to the mix black or red beans and on one crazy afternoon kielbasa diced up. 

To keep the consistency right I'd say to add no more than 2 1/2 cups total of any extra ingredients. 

My boys like the desert cornbread where we put in a couple cups of mixed berries, served warm with ice cream and a drizzle of honey!


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## gwest77

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Gary for the batch I did in this thread I used two cups of the corn and several jalapeños. If I was going to add the bell peppers too I'd reduce the corn by a cup and add around a third cup each of red green and yellow bell peppers. We've also added to the mix black or red beans and on one crazy afternoon kielbasa diced up.
> 
> To keep the consistency right I'd say to add no more than 2 1/2 cups total of any extra ingredients.
> 
> My boys like the desert cornbread where we put in a couple cups of mixed berries, served warm with ice cream and a drizzle of honey!


    My idea of desert is to take that hot cornbread put it in a glass and pour some good cold butter milk in there with it, and a touch of salt & pepper. I'm sure your boys wouldn't care for that though.


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## foamheart

Since this thread has resurfaced anyone make hot water corn bread?


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## snorkelinggirl

Hi Case,

Sorry that I missed this thread the first time around, but I'm glad it came back to life so that I could catch it!

I'm always on the lookout for good cornbread recipes.  I was going to render some more back fat in a few weeks, so I'll be able to make crackling corn bread!

Thanks for the great corn porn! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Happy New Year!
Clarissa


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## gwest77

Foamheart said:


> Since this thread has resurfaced anyone make hot water corn bread?


 Here you are Foamheart

The simplest recipe for cornbread involves mixing cornmeal with sugar, salt, water and shortening or bacon fat. Little cakes are then fried and served warm, drizzled with honey or maple syrup."


1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 tablespoon shortening

3/4 cup boiling water

*      **Directions*


1
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, and sugar. Add boiling water and shortening; stir until shortening melts.2
Pour oil or bacon fat to a depth of 1/2 inch in a large skillet and heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3Shape cornmeal mixture into flattened balls using a heaping tablespoon as a measuring guide. Fry each in hot oil, turning once, until crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve at once with maple syrup or honey


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## GaryHibbert

Hey Foam

Some of the absolute best biscuits and gravey I ever ate in my life (and I'm an afficicianado) I ate in Oregon Go figure

Gary


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## Dutch

Foam-this last weekend I was going thru some of the few recipes that my Dad had-Came across this recipe for Lacey Cornbread-I didn't recognise the handwritting (it wasn't Dad's or Mom's so I'm guessing that it may have been my Grandma's (Dad's Mom) recipe-

Lacey Cornbread
Yield: 12 pieces

Use a small flatware spoon , not a measuring spoon. Tap down the center of each piece with edge of spoon as soon as it’s dropped into the hot grease to make the cornbread as flat as possible.  It cooks quickly, only a couple of minutes on each side.  

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain cornmeal, not self-rising
1/2 cup hot tap water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
cooking oil

Directions:
•  Mix cornmeal, water and salt.  Set aside.
•  Heat 1/2 inch cooking oil in cast iron skillet.
•  Drop teaspoonful into hot grease, tapping down the center of each with spoon as soon as it hits the skillet.  Turn when edges are browned and cook remaining side until browned.
•  Remove from hot grease when browned.  Drain on paper towel.  Sprinkle with additional kosher salt while still hot.


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## foamheart

Wow Cool, I am writing as while typing, ambidextrous don't ya know, now if I just knew how to type!

Thanks Dutch 

Oh and thanks also gwest77, I just noticed I didn't even say thanks. I was brought up better than that!


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## Dutch

Hey Foam,  now that I've had a chance to think this over,  I remember Grandma making these when she was living with us after having a stroke. I must have been about 9 or 10.

Hope that recipe is similar to what you're looking for.


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## dirtsailor2003

Made a batch of  CB again this week to go with some Sopa de polla we made. So good! Still need to try the hot water version Kevin. Sounds like a perfect thing to cook in the Discada!


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## roller

That is a good cornbread recipe I just do not use sugar in cornbread...It looks great and the only way to make cornbread is in a cast iron skillet...


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## dirtsailor2003

Roller said:


> That is a good cornbread recipe I just do not use sugar in cornbread...It looks great and the only way to make cornbread is in a cast iron skillet...


Thanks Roller. Just made a batch last weekend for our mothers day gathering. Should've made two, there weren't any leftovers!


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## dirtsailor2003

Think I may a batch or two today!


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## ristau5741

Think I'm making me some corn bread this weekend,  and using up some of them roasted Hatch Chili's I've been storing since summer.


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## bluewhisper

Dirt, your cornbread is almost exactly like mine. I usually make a batch to fit a 6-cup Ekco muffin tin.

Dry:
1.5 cups flour
1.5 cups cornmeal 
(or adjust the ratio to taste, you could do this with all flour and no cornmeal)
1 rounded tsp baking powder
1 level tsp salt
sugar - anywhere from 2 tbsp to 1/4 cup, according to taste, I prefer less sugar

Wet:
2 eggs
1 cup milk, could be buttermilk or even slightly sour milk
oil or butter, anywhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup, but no more than 1/2 at most

Measure and mix dry ingredients first. That way you don't have a wet measuring cup. 

Measure and mix the wet, starting with the eggs alone in case you need to fish out shell fragments. Grease the pan and warm the oven. Combine the wet and dry, and the clock starts. If you're adding anything like corn or peppers or blueberries, this is the time. 

Everyone says to barely mix or else the bread won't be crumbly, but I find very crumbly cornbread impractical because it breaks apart too easily.

Measure into the muffin cups, expect it to double in volume, bake it and watch it. While it's cooking you'll have time to wash all of your prep equipment.

Sometimes I'll make it in cast iron but I usually prefer to have muffins instead of a loaf.








Square Lodge skillet FTW.

When the muffins are cooling, I like to flip them to let them dry out a bit.






I first started making cornbread with the Jiffy mix, which is the gateway drug to DIY cornbread. But that's way too sweet for my taste.


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## idahopz

That looks great, DS!


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## ristau5741

Nice breads I made,  first one, fried up the bacon, used the the grease in the 10" cast iron skillet, added the bacon, some shredded cheese and roasted hatch chilis to the mix. My daughter made the same recipe, used vegetable oil to grease the dutch oven, added a can of white corn to hers. Both came out awesome.  hers a bit crumblier, but came out of the dutch oven easily. Mine, not so crumbly, but had a little bit of issues getting it out of the pan. Threw half of each in the freezer for the next batch of chili.   thanks for the recipe.


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## Rings Я Us

Was just a show on tv where they tested a bunch of new cast iron pans with enamel coating.. They mention that cornbread stuck in most..  Was Americas Test Kitchen.
Probably not enough build up on them.. 
 Pyrex darker pans work fine.


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## foamheart

Rings Я Us said:


> Was just a show on tv where they tested a bunch of new cast iron pans with enamel coating.. They mention that cornbread stuck in most..  Was Americas Test Kitchen.
> Probably not enough build up on them..
> Pyrex darker pans work fine.
> View attachment 347879



Corn bread stick? You either fry your bacon in the cast iron you will make the cornbread in or.... melt the butter you are going to put in your corn bread. You use that to well oil the pan and cook till the edges are golden brown and a bit crisp (They will actually pull away from the pan when done). I have have occasionally had some trouble with cast iron muffin pans but its usually due to them not being seasoned properly or some nut using spray grease.







There are thousands of great cornbread recipes out there and Case's is great one. Some folks add flavor modifiers, onions, chitlings, cheese, cracklins, heck my sister makes her's like a cake with sugar in it. I like hot water corn bread too! I just never was able to master it. 

Case's recipe is really good for those who'll be making cornbread dressing/stuffing IMHO. I used his one year and still keep it in the file just for that reason, none better.


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## bluewhisper

I use spray oil in that old Ekco tin that is not as non-stick as it used to be. As you say, the bread will contract and separate from the pan as it cools. I never have a problem with sticking.

Side note - my mother craved corn when she was pregnant with me. I think that explains a lot.


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