Cast-Iron Cooking

Cast-iron cookware smacks of history and tradition. A heavy black skillet always adds a pioneer aesthetic to any kitchen, whether it’s a real heirloom or a recent purchase. And then there’s the fact that it has to be seasoned and carefully maintained: since you can’t use harsh modern soaps, everything that ever goes into a cast-iron skillet seems to add something of itself to the pan – metaphorically, not literally, of course.

I recently acquired a cast-iron skillet, my very first and one that I plan to use for years and pass on to future generations, and I wanted its inaugural dish to be something that reflected the Southwestern roots of the person who gave it to me. I also wanted the dish to be something incredibly tasty, so I decided on skillet cornbread. Research revealed a lot of internet ranting about the rule that authentic Southern cornbread must not contain sugar under any circumstances; fine with me. I also noticed a tradition of using buttermilk; even better. I wanted my first attempt to be fairly plain: a test of a basic template that I could embellish in the future. But because I can’t resist a little embellishment, and because Chase has done an impressive job of doubling the size of his herb plants, I decided this baptismal cornbread would be seasoned with sage. (However, versions studded with cheese, jalapenos, chestnuts, and caramelized onions are sure to ensue).

I used stone-ground cornmeal, and followed a simple recipe from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything (but omitted the sugar to please the Southerners). It would have been even more authentic if I had had some lard or bacon grease on hand, but the melted butter bubbling in the skillet was an appetizing substitute. The whole process could not have been easier, and will therefore be repeated many times: whisk an egg with some buttermilk, mix gently with the dry ingredients and whatever add-ins you’re using, then pour into the butter-coated skillet and bake for about 30 minutes.

The result had an airy texture but was full of dense, corny flavor, with a rustic coarseness from the cornmeal and an earthy perfume from the sage. The searing hot surface of the pan created a lacy crust of crackly cornmeal. It was perfect on the side of a bowl of “Austin-style” black beans seasoned with chipotles in adobo and lime. It was also perfect crumbled over the top of said beans, and as a utensil for wiping up the last of the spicy sauce a few minutes later. And I imagine it will be perfect with butter and honey as a midmorning, afternoon, (and/)or evening snack.

So the verdict on cast-iron cookware is certainly a positive one. This skillet could crush all of my flimsy K-Mart non-stick pans in any kind of cook-off – both literally and metaphorically.

Skillet Cornbread with Sage

1 ½ cups coarse-ground cornmeal
½ all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 egg
4-5 sage leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and chopped sage. In another bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk, then add to the dry ingredients and stir until combined (I used a spatula for this, but I think a whisk would do it more efficiently). Melt the butter in the skillet, and swirl it around to coat the sides. Pour the batter into the skillet and even it out with a spatula. Bake it for 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and pulling away from the sides.