Skillet Cornbread

Set a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet on the middle rack and heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Add about a third of the bacon drippings to the cold skillet and let it preheat with the oven for a full 15 minutes. The skillet must be ripping hot and the fat shimmering before any batter goes in — this is what builds the signature crackling, lacquered crust.

While the skillet heats, whisk the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until completely uniform. Break up any lumps of leavener so it disperses evenly — pockets of baking soda leave bitter, metallic spots. Stone-ground meal carries more flavor and a coarser bite than fine commercial meal; either works, but keep the grind consistent.

Whisk the eggs into the buttermilk, then whisk in the remaining bacon drippings (warm but not hot, so they don't scramble the eggs). Pour the wet into the dry well and stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain — fewer than ten strokes. The batter should be loose and pourable, looser than a cake batter. Overmixing toughens the crumb; a few small lumps are fine. Work quickly, because the leavening is already firing in the acidic buttermilk.

Pour the batter into the hot, greased skillet all at once — it should hiss and sizzle dramatically as the edges set on contact. Return it to the 450°F oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the edges have pulled from the skillet, and a tester comes out clean. Run a knife around the rim, then invert onto a board (or cut wedges straight from the pan) and serve hot, slathered with butter.