ValuePack wrote:
Back from the dead!
Due to this thread, my boss knew I was after cast cornstick pans. He came up with a few older(50s?) pans from a flea market this past weekend. Will give your recipe a whirl this coming weekend, thanks ECM! Might go with to the market Saturday, supposedly they had quite a few 5-10" pans around for cheap.
Anyone else have any other cast iron recipes while this ignorant Yankee is scribbling these down?
Need to deep fry anything? At least once in your life, make some fried chicken or porkchops. Cast iron is best, because there are fewer hotspots and the oil temperature is more stable when adding cold meat.
Start by heating your oil. Every burner is different, but I usually turn a large burner onto 7. You can get all picky with the temperatures using a candy thermometer, but I usually just kind of wing it. I usually make biscuits at the same time, so I put a little piece of biscuit dough in the oil. If it doesn't bubble, it's not hot enough; if it is a violent boil, it is too hot. Go for something in the middle. And try the fried biscuit dough; you won't regret it.Vegetable oil works well (typically it's soybean oil), but for the true southern experience, use shortening. Just don't make this a daily meal, and you will be fine.
Preparing the meat is pretty simple. I like to buy leg quarters, split into thighs and legs, trim of any huge hunks of fat, and leave the skin on. I have never fried pork chops (just eaten them!), but I imagine they're pretty simple: Use bone-in cuts, trim excess fat, and you should be ready to bread them.
I use the double breading method: In one large bowl, mix flour with your favorite seasonings until you can taste them in the flour. Salt, pepper, and paprika is a solid foundation. Aside from that, I would maybe add crushed red pepper and ground cayenne pepper.
In a second bowl, beat a few eggs into milk or buttermilk. Using one hand (so that only one gets all gooey), dredge the meat in flour, then the wash, and back into the flour. Shake off any excess flour; otherwise, it will separate in the oil, burn, and smoke up the place. From here, lightly drop the pieces into the hot oil, waiting maybe 15 seconds or so between pieces so that the temperature can stabilize. I think the rule is larger pieces in the middle, smaller towards the perimeter. When taking them out of the oil, shake off the excess, and let them dry on a wire rack.
Ideally, you should use a pan with pretty deep sides. When the pan is filled, oil should come more than halfway up the side of the thickest pieces.
1 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 Tbs baking powder 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup milk 1 egg 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup shortening + 2 Tbs shortening Preheat oven to 450°. Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and stir to combine. Measure the buttermilk and milk into a measuring cup and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Add the baking soda to the milk mixture and stir together. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. In a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the 1/4 cup shortening. Add melted shortening to the batter slowly, stirring just until combined. Then, in the same hot skillet melt 2 Tbs shortening. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread to even out the surface. Batter should sizzle when it makes contact with the pan. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute, then transfer to hot oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!
