Proper Southern Cornbread

A proper southern household knows how to cook cornbread. I thought I'd do a picture post to show everyone. The recipe is subjective to taste, but for ease and convenience I like the Martha White Cotton Country Cornbread package. The Southern Recipe is the best, it adds an egg and reduces the water amount. The egg makes the cornbread fluffier.

 

 Start heating the empty cast iron skillet while mixing the cornbread. It has to be a cast iron skillet, otherwise it ain't proper.

Heat about a large spoon of shortening in the skillet.

The oil is hot enough once a small drop of batter starts to bubble.

Add the batter into the skillet. Here comes the crispy edges for the cornbread!

The finished product fresh from the oven.

The cornbread has to be flipped onto a plate for the table.

Of course, the cornbread is the main entree ( with lots of butter ) , but serving suggestions include Great Northern Beans with a little bacon grease and sliced ham steaks. 

A complete dinner under $8.00 for a family of four.

Now, my Grandfather would have dessert by crumbling a wedge of cornbread into a glass and then pouring sweet milk (buttermilk) over it. A sprinkle of sugar on top and that's how we do it in the South.