SEAN BROCK’S CAST-IRON CORNBREAD
This is the most sought-after recipe at Butter Pat Industries. And no wonder—not only is cornbread the perfect dish to break in a new cast-iron pan (or build seasoning in an old one), but between the masterful cooking of chef Sean Brock of Nashville and the help of craft grain millers at Marsh Hen Mill in Charleston, this go-to version makes a side that’s so good, you’ll want to eat it for an entire meal.
Yields one 10-inch round loaf.
Best cooked in the Heather.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups coarse cornmeal, preferably Marsh Hen Mill’s Jimmy Red Cornmeal
- 1½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1½ cups full-fat buttermilk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup, plus 1 Tbsp. rendered fresh lard, melted
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Put a 10-inch cast-iron skillet like the Heather in the oven to preheat for at least 10 minutes.
- Combine the cornmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Combine the buttermilk, egg, and ¼ cup of the lard in a small bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just to combine; do not overmix.
- Carefully move the hot skillet from the oven to the stove, turning your burner to high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of lard and swirl to coat the skillet. Pour in the batter, distributing it evenly. It should sizzle.
- Remove the skillet from the stove and place back in your preheated oven. Bake the cornbread for about 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You can serve it warm from the skillet, or immediately invert the cornbread onto a plate or cooling rack to preserve its crunchy crust.
Recipe courtesy of Sean Brock. Photo courtesy of Netflix’s Chef’s Table.
SEAFOOD FRITTERS
The Eastern Shore of Virginia is, for all intents and purposes, clam country. In fact, the Old Dominion State has the largest clam fishery in the United States, hauling in hundreds of millions of both farm-raised and wild varieties, from little necks, cherrystones, and razors along the coastal peninsula’s Chesapeake Bay shorelines to quahogs off the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. And if you’re not eating them raw or roasted, there are few ways better to indulge than the local delicacy of a pan-fried fritter.
CHESAPEAKE OYSTER STUFFING
A round of oysters is always cause for celebration, and this time of year on the Chesapeake Bay, that shows up in the form of oyster stuffing. Whether stuffed into a bird or cooked in a cast-iron pan, it’s a time-honored tradition during the holiday season. Or, as Harris’s book reports The Baltimore Sun putting it in 1914, “Inside the oyster belt at Thanksgiving time, it is nothing short of heresy to fail to serve turkey with good old-fashioned oyster stuffing.” Throw it into a Joan and consider it tradition.
SEARED HANGER STEAK WITH CHARRED SCALLION SALSA
There was a time not that long ago when you’d walk into certain butcher shops, ask for a hanger steak, and get a quizzical look. Perhaps that’s because, for some time, the secondary cut was also known as a “Hanging Tender,” hailing from inside the ribcage (in fact, it’s part of the diaphragm), as well as “the Butcher’s Steak,” with those cunning meatmongers often keeping this deeply flavorful, textured specimen for themselves. “But the gig is up,” says Pryles, who shares her pan-cooked version with us, featuring wagyu, no less, and a bright salsa to boot.
Shop All Cookware
Got this recipe from a friend? Sign up below so you never miss a recipe.
