Bacon-Cheddar Biscuits

OMG these are AMAZING - my new favorite savory biscuits. They blow Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay biscuits OUT OF THE WATER!! James Villas' new cookbook, Pig: King of the Southern Table shows what all great Southern cooks understand. Lard--and only lard--is the secret to amazingly fluffy biscuit texture.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 18
• Yields: 18 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1⁄3 cup  lard, chilled and cut into small cubes (plus more for greasing baking sheet)
• 1⁄2 lb bacon, sliced, applewood-smoked and cooked until crisp and crumbled
• 1⁄2 lb extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1  cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Add the lard by cutting it into the flour with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the bacon, cheese and milk and stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times--no more or the biscuits will become tough. Gently pat the dough into a round about ½ inch thick, and cut out rounds with a 2-inch-round biscuit cutter. Pat the scraps together and repeat.
4. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet about ½ inch apart and bake in the upper third of the oven until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm, or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.