Texas Style Cornbread

Directions

1. 1
   Notes:
2. 2
   If you don't have buttermilk, add 2 teaspoons of vinegar to plain milk. I use this trick a lot.
3. 3
   For the bacon fat, you can substitute lard, Crisco or vegetable oil. Do not use butter, it will burn.
4. 4
   Chop bacon and cook until crisp. Reserve bacon pieces and add bacon fat to a pie plate. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place pie plate with fat in the oven while it preheats.
5. 5
   Mix everything, except the buttermilk and eggs, together until well combined.
6. 6
   Mix buttermilk and eggs together, breaking the yolks of the eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to just to combine (similar to pancake batter, you don't want to over-mix).
7. 7
   Remove the pie plate from the oven. Pour the batter into the pie plate (this will make the edges of the cornbread nice and crispy). Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is nice and golden brown.