Cornbread is a regular guest at my dinner table. My family is from Texas and that means I grew up with Grandma’s (and Mama’s) cornbread. Always baked in a cast iron skillet and always made with bacon grease (I keep a jar in the fridge.)

What I noticed right away about Dorie’s recipe is the amount of fat. I typically use two to four tablespoons in my cornbread. Dorie calls for eight. Wow! This is going to be rich. And ground pepper is an unusual addition. There are optional add-in’s: bacon, jalapeño, corn, fresh herbs, green onions. I decided to add them all.

The dry ingredients are cornmeal, a bit of all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, black pepper and Cayenne. These are whisked together and then buttermilk and two eggs are mixed in. The fat (I used a mixture of bacon grease and butter) is mixed in, followed by the optional add-ins. Finally, grated cheddar cheese on top for good measure.

The recipe says to bake the cornbread for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. The tester came out clean at 22 minutes, but when I cut into the cornbread with a knife, it was clear the middle wasn’t cooked. I popped it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. It came out brown and perfectly cooked.

This cornbread is an upgrade from my standard. It’s bursting with flavor and is tender and moist. A perfect side for a bowl of chili or maybe black-eyed peas and collard greens.