A cast iron skillet and the best cornbread recipe

A cast iron skillet and the best cornbread recipe.

It’s been years since I thought about that old cast iron skillet. From cornbread to pork chops, that old skillet was a part of almost every meal. In those days there were very few ready made options. In fact, the first consumer grade microwave ovens still hadn’t hit the market in those days. Therefore, cooking from scratch was still a common practice. Which meant recipes were often handed down from generation to generation.

There was no internet. Furthermore, recipes were hard to come by, and my Granny didn’t need a recipe anyway. In fact, she already knew it. I remember watching her get that skillet ready first thing in the morning for fried eggs and sausage. Or, if it was close to Friday, bacon. Cooking oils were not a first choice in those days. Or at the very least, they were rare. Lard was the cooking oil of choice and oftentimes Granny would save all the grease from the cooking. Then, strain it, and store it for reuse later.

With this in mind, the old cast iron skillet was at the center of everything. She used it in the early afternoons to make the cornbread for the evening meal. Then, the cast iron skillet would be available for frying hamburger patties or pork chops. And sometimes potatoes. Especially fried potatoes and onions. A classic side dish Granny would make when it was going to be a fancy dinner. Like pork chops.

A Cast Iron Skillet

As a kid it was impossible to ignore the skillet. After all, it was responsible for many of the tantalizing, and appetizing smells that filled Granny’s house at mealtimes. It was a classic tool, with a potent ability to make anyone nearby, feel extremely hungry. Furthermore, Granny used it like an expert chef from a gourmet restaurant. To this day, in my opinion, there is no cornbread like Granny’s cornbread.

Nor is there any potato and onion dish that can rival that of the cast iron skillet version. Furthermore, it helps to forget the potatoes and onions a couple of times so that they get scorch marks on them from the heat. (Just a few singed pieces here and there.) And if it’s not a cast iron skillet, it’s not the same. However, it’s the cornbread that stands out all these years later. Something about that cornbread.

It was round. Granny always made the cornbread in the cast iron skillet. So it always came out of the oven in a circular shape. Like a cake. Similarly, when sliced, it became cornbread wedges. Piping hot, homemade, cast iron skillet cornbread wedges. Furthermore, it was always from scratch. What an awesome experience, watching all the ingredients mixed together and combined. Then the sizzle as the batter pours into the hot cast iron skillet.

The Best Cornbread Recipe

The heated pan. “Getting the griddle hot,” as Granny used to say. It was how the top of the cornbread got its crust. For example, from the oven, it went topside down on the serving plate. Sometimes a few slices of real butter went on top. Unless the butter was for the morning’s toast. We didn’t need the butter anyway. The cornbread was a star all on its own.

The exact recipe of the cornbread is a mystery. I remember the heated pan because Granny would tilt it, and shake it, to get the cooking grease to spread evenly just before the cornbread batter went in. Then an hour or so of the sweet aroma of baking cornbread filling the entire house. That was also a signal that dinner was on the horizon. It was impossible not to look forward to dinner with the smell of fresh baked cornbread filling the house.

There are many delicious cornbread recipes on the internet. Some of them specifically geared toward the cast iron skillet method. Although it wasn’t so much a method to Granny. It was just her way of doing it. Of course after preparing a meal like that, it was normal for everyone to sit in the same room while eating. Sometimes at the same table. Without any kind of screen. Just everyone looking at everyone else. And all that glorious cornbread. Thanks for reading.

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