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overhead shot of cracklin' corn bread in a cast iron skillet with butter, milk and a dish or cracklings to the side
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5 from 2 votes

Cracklin’ Corn Bread

Cracklin' corn bread is a traditional Southern treat that goes back decades. Meaty pork cracklings are baked into tender yellow corn bread.
Course Appetizer, baking, bread, Side dishes
Cuisine American, Southern
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 206kcal
Author Lisa B.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon bacon grease
  • 1 cup self-rising white cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 eggs slightly beaten
  • 1 cup tender pork cracklings broken into smaller pieces

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place one tablespoon of bacon grease in the center of a 10-inch cast iron skillet. If you don’t have bacon grease on hand, you can also spray the skillet with a light coating of cooking spray. Place the skillet in the oven while it preheats so the bacon grease can melt. Once the grease is melted, carefully swirl the grease around to coat the skillet, or get a paper towel and wipe it around to coat.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine one the cornmeal, flour and baking powder. Whisk the dry ingredients until they are uniformly mixed.
  • Add the milk and eggs. Whisk again until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
  • Add the pork cracklings to the batter and stir until the cracklings are evenly mixed throughout the batter.
  • Pour the batter into the hot, greased skillet.
  • Bake the bread for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Notes

Storage. Cracklin’ bread should be stored in a plastic storage bag or wrapped in plastic wrap within two hours to prevent it from drying out. Store the bread in the refrigerator and consume within five days.
Freezing. Baked cracklin’ bread can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. I advise wrapping the bread in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil to keep out freezer burn or weird flavors from leeching into the bread. Allow the bread to thaw at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Reheating. Individual servings of cracklin’ bread can be reheated for 15-30 seconds in the microwave. Alternately, warm it in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 801IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1.3mg