Jalapeno-Bacon Corn Bread

This Southwestern-style recipe is a perennial favorite at the National Cornbread Festival. This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #74

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 pan

Ingredients

• 8  slices bacon
• 2  tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 2  eggs
• 1  small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 5  pickled jalapeno peppers, stemmed, drained, and chopped
• 1  tablespoon  pickled jalapeno pepper juice
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2  cups white cornmeal
• 1 1⁄3 cups buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once, until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to let drain, pour rendered fat into a small bowl.
2. Melt vegetable shortening and 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat together in the skillet while it is preheating.
3. Crumble bacon and set aside. Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl. Add bacon, onions, jalapeños, jalapeño pickling juice, sugar, baking soda, salt, cumin, and pepper and beat well. Add cornmeal and buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour the hot fat from the skillet into the batter and stir until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the hot skillet or 9x9 square. Bake the bread until lightly golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.