To be traditional, cornbread must be cooked in a cast-iron skillet -- preferably in bacon grease, although vegetable oil works just as well (and is easier on cholesterol levels). Y'all Yankees who've been baking your cornbread in muffin tins and cake pans -- or worse, adding sugar <shudder> -- Repent, and all will be forgiven.
In many parts of the Old South, cornbread is made only from white cornmeal. Yellow corn is "feed corn" -- fit for livestock, but not for people. As far as I know, Texans always have made yellow cornbread, probably because south-of-the-border food and culture have influenced Texans from the beginning. In addition, corn isn't grown as a human-food crop in Texas...so I suppose Texans are accustomed to making do with whatever they can get. In any case, yellow cornbread just looks prettier after a Texan's finished doctoring it.
Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
3-6 diced jalepenos, pickled or fresh (for milder flavor, substitute one 4-oz. can diced green chilis)
optional: one 15-oz. can cream-style corn (reduce buttermilk by 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Coat skillet with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil or bacon grease. Set empty skillet in oven to heat while you mix the batter.
3. Combine dry ingredients, mix well and set aside.
4. Combine buttermilk, butter and egg and mix well. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
5. Add chopped peppers (and corn, if desired). Stir just until combined.
6. Pour batter into hot skillet and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until top is brown and cornbread gives slightly under fingertip pressure.
7. Cut into wedges and serve warm with butter. Made without the creamed corn, cornbread can be crumbled into bowls of hot beans or chili.
When I was a child, my father used to break chunks of plain (without the creamed corn and jalepenos), cold cornbread into a tall glass of buttermilk and eat it for dessert. I've also known folks to chunk plain, cold cornbread into a bowl and eat it like breakfast cereal with whole milk and sugar.
As an alternative to baking the cornbread, omit the egg and creamed corn and fry the batter on top of the stove as you would pancakes. Corncakes are excellent with butter as a bread substitute, but I've also known folks to eat them with syrup for breakfast.
Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa
When mature, the tomatillo fruit is about the size of a cherry tomato. The outside is green and covered with a papery husk that must be removed before using the fruit, which is white inside and meatier than a tomato.
Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh tomatillos (more if you want the sauce thinner)
1 jalapeno pepper (more if you enjoy spicy salsas) OR substitute 1-3 serrano peppers for a milder flavor
1/3 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems (about 1/2 cup tightly packed)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove
1 ripe avocado
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lime juice (about 1 lime)
Sour cream to taste (if desired)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel husks from tomatillos and wash. Cut each tomatillo in half. Place cut-side down on baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil (or lightly spray with olive-oil cooking spray). Bake in preheated oven until soft (about 15-20 minutes, depending upon size of tomatillos).
3.. Peel avocado; remove and discard pit. Cut avocado meat into chunks.
4. In blender or food processor, puree tomatillos, cilantro, onion, garlic, avocado, salt, and lime juice until desired consistency. (I like the sauce very smooth, but you may prefer yours chunky.) Add peppers one at a time, tasting until desired heat level is reached.
5. Optional: Stir in sour cream to create desired flavor and consistency. Sour cream will cut the heat, so bear that in mind when adding peppers.
Store in tightly sealed container in refrigerator for up to one week. (The lime juice not only adds flavor, but also prevents discoloration.)
Serve as a dip for tortilla chips or as a sauce for almost any Mexican food: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, barbacoa, etc. Also excellent as a sandwich spread and on grilled or baked fish.
NOTE: If you can’t find fresh tomatillos, 1 lb. fresh tomatillos = 11-oz. can tomatillos. Check the Mexican food aisle at your grocery store.
Black-eyed Peas, Texas Style
Black-eyed peas are one of those foods I cook without a recipe. The ingredients are simple, and approximate measurements work just fine. Here’s how I cook mine. Any of the spices can be replaced with something more to your liking: Try oregano, sage, or thyme instead of cumin, for example.
Ingredients:
A mess of black-eyed peas (1 small bag dried, a couple of cans, or 3-4 cups fresh or frozen)
6-8 slices bacon
Ham (hocks, slab, hambone, whatever trips your trigger)
1 small to medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 or 3 celery ribs, chopped
1 small to medium carrot, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed (to taste)
Water or chicken stock
3 or 4 bay leaves
Dash of cumin
Salt
Pepper
Fresh jalapeños to taste, seeded and chopped
Garnish: Parsley, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped green or red onions, fresh or pickled jalapeño slices, pico de gallo, or whatever else you like
1) If using dried or fresh peas, wash and pick through to remove any small pebbles or bad peas. (Note: It’s not necessary to soak or pre-boil dried peas, but if you feel compelled to do so, go right ahead.) If using canned peas, drain. If using frozen peas, thaw for a few minutes under running water in a colander.
2) In a deep, heavy pot, fry bacon until almost crisp. Remove and drain, leaving drippings in the pot. (If you like, you may toss in whatever ham you’re using at this point and fry it a bit, too. Then remove it from the grease and drain with the bacon.)
3) Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and carrot to the drippings and sauté until onion is clear. (Southerners call this “sweating” the veggies. The process releases flavors and aromas guaranteed to make your mouth water.) Add garlic and sauté for a minute or so more.
4) Dump peas, jalapeños, ham and bacon into the pot with the veggies. Add enough water or chicken stock (or a combination) to cover. Add bay leaves and season to taste with salt, pepper, and cumin. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the broth is creamy and the peas are tender. Add water or stock as necessary to keep the peas covered as they cook.
That’s it! Garnish as desired when serving, or set out a bunch of potential garnishes and let everyone add their own. Serve over rice, and you’ve got the Southern staple we call Hoppin’ John. Add crispy-on-the-outside cornbread and a green vegetable or salad for a tummy-filling, soul-warming meal.
If you and your family are adventurous, leftover black-eyed peas may be pureed or mashed and combined with spices, cheese, sour cream, and/or a variety of other condiments to create interesting and tasty dips and spreads that make great football-watching snacks.
Cornbread, Texas Style
Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa
Black-eyed Peas, Texas Style
