Smoked Pork Jalapeño Corn Bread
Prep time: 30 minutes (not including smoking the pork)
Cook time: 30-60 minutes (varies on amount of cornbread being cooked)
Total time: 60-90 minutes
Servings: 4-12 (varies on amount of cornbread being cooked)
"As per usual in my culinary career, this was a complete shot from the hip. I had the idea of incorporating my businesses smoked pork into cornbread, but wasn't quite sure how I wanted it to go together. Then it clicked that we could bake it on the Forge 15 grill in a cast iron skillet. Blackened jalapeños for some heat, brown butter for some sweet and see where everything else falls into place. I've also had the idea of grilling a romaine salad and just like the cornbread, it came out surprisingly nice. Great for feeding a handful of folks around the campsite. Honestly, it was much more of a people pleaser than I expected it to be. Hope you enjoy." - Gordo
Ingredients:
- 1/2 smoked pork
- 4 jalapeños
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 2 heads of romaine
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Fresh ground pepper
- Bougie salt of choice
- 1/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan
Instructions:
1. Begin by preheating the grill with the cast iron in the Forge 15 grill. I use this time to brown the butter as well. Crank one side of the grill burner to high heat, and leave the other burner off that has the cast iron over it. I like to preheat the grill to 400-450 and this allows me to construct everything while opening and closing the grill. In doing so it will be ready to maintain a nice smooth 350 degree cook. Throw on the Jalapeños on the burner that is at high heat to blacken them up. Rotate them regularly to get an even crisp.
2. On the Side Burner, start searing your meat. We used Gordo Gustavo's smoked pork of course! Render off all the fat and give it a nice crisp because it won't be cooked much more once covered in corn bread batter.
3. While everything is warming up, mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Crack the eggs into the mix and slowly pour in milk while whipping everything together until it's nice and uniform at a good consistency.
4. Pull the pork and the Jalapeños of the grill and let them cool. Once the butter has browned add half of the butter to the mix and pour the other half into the cast iron. Remove the seeds and stem out of the Jalapeños and dice them on the Side Table Cutting Board, while finally adding to the cornbread mix. Add in the desired amount of pulled pork to the cornbread batter in the cast iron pan with the browned butter. Put back onto the grill and cook roughly at 350 for 30-60 minutes, or until you can get a toothpick in the middle to not have batter on it indicating it is done. REMINDER: You are indirectly cooking this. One side of the grill is on, one side of the grill is off. Your cast iron remains on the side that is off throughout the whole cooking process.
5. Prepare the romaine lettuce when you are in the final 5 minutes of cooking the cornbread. Split the romaine in half down the middle and place them on the grill head side down after adding olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill for 4-5 minutes and flip grilling for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from grill and finish them with some aged balsamic vinegar and fresh parmesan cheese.
6. The last step is getting the cornbread out of the cast iron pan. Work a knife around the edge of the pan loosening the cornbread, but not breaking it apart. The browned butter at the bottom of the pan will ensure that the cornbread won't be stuck. If the culinary God's smile upon you, you shall easily remove a perfectly golden brown cake of cornbread filled with the best ingredients money can buy. Add on a little fresh whipped honey butter or put yourself together a Jalapeños honey compound butter for more of a kick.
7. Enjoy!