Cornbread the old fashioned way

My husband, Karl, was the official cornbread maker in our house.  His cornbread is not sweet and is typically served with a pot of pinto beans with ham, cooked greens, fresh tomatoes and onions.  I also like to serve cornbread with my 5-hour Beef Stew (to be posted another day) or chili.  I always save a piece to drown in honey from my neighbor, Gary’s, beehives.

CORNBREAD the old fashioned way

1 tablespoon bacon grease (or canola oil)
1 cup white corn meal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
1/3 cup corn oil
1 cup milk

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put one tablespoon bacon grease (heaping) in an iron skillet and let skillet get up to temperature of the oven. Take paper towel and spread grease throughout skillet. Pour off excess grease. You can be doing this while you are mixing the ingredients.
• Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg and add wet ingredients. Mix. Blend dry and wet ingredients and stir well. You might need to add milk for the mixture needs to be runny.

• When skillet is hot pour ingredients into it. Do not burn your hands. It’s easy to reach out and grab the skillet handle without using a pad or glove. Bake for 27 minutes.
• Let cornbread cool for a few minutes, then invert onto plate.  Serve warm with butter and honey or with the traditional pot of pinto beans, stew or chili.