The Cook wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:35:33 -0600, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>> On Tue 13 Jan 2009 10:16:20p, MaryL told us...
>>>
>>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> "Chemiker" > wrote in message
>>>>> ...
>>>>>> Well, back to the drawing board. Found 2 cast iron
>>>>>> corn bread stick molds in the garage, refugees
>>>>>> from my wife's Daddy's storage shed when he
>>>>>> died some years ago.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cleaned them up, and reseasoned. They looked
>>>>>> pretty good, but the proof was in the making of
>>>>>> cornbread.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Went to local market and bought a couple of packets
>>>>>> of yellow CB mix, and made one with whole milk.
>>>>>>
>>>>> Your problem was buying cornbread "mix".
>>>>>
>>>>> Use butter to grease the molds and then make cornbread from scratch,
>>>>> not a boxed mix.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jill
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Yes, what Jill said. My grandmother used the type of molds you
>>>> describe, and she used lots of butter on the pans--and she was baking in
>>>> days before mixes were available, which was probably "a good thing" in
>>>> that case. Hers came out perfectly every time.
>>>>
>>>> MaryL
>>>>
>>>>
>>> It's also very important to preheat the mold to sizzling hot before pouring
>>> in the batter. Actually, Crisco or bacon fat works better without burning.
>>> The temperature should be quite high.
>>>
>> What Wayne said. I always preheat my cast iron in the oven at the
>> temperature the cornbread is going to be cooked at. I put a little
>> canola oil in the bottom of the pan, swirl it around, and then start
>> heating from cold.
>>
>> In the meantime I am mixing my cornbread up and getting it ready. Once
>> the oven dings that is ready I pull the pan out, pour in the cornbread
>> mixture, stick it back in the oven for the time period necessary to cook
>> through, as proven by a toothpick stuck into the highest point on the
>> cornbread. If the toothpick comes out clean you're ready to eat.
>>
>> Learned that from my Mom, who learned to cook in on a wood and/or coal
>> stove and she learned it from her Mom who learned to cook in a fireplace
>> in the backwoods of nineteenth century Arkansas.
>>
>> Using this method has always turned out perfect cornbread for me, moist,
>> done through and through, and with that fine crust on the bottom.
>
> Sounds like what I do, except I use bacon grease. I put the pan with
> the grease into the preheating oven. When the grease starts to smoke
> I take the pan out and add the batter. I find that it is done if it
> falls out of the pan. Somewhere along the line I realized when it did
> not come out of the pan well, it was not quite done. It was usually
> sticking in the middle. Another minute or two in the oven and it
> would fall right out. I haven't done corn sticks in ages. I think
> the trick would be to make sure that every nook and cranny was well
> greased and the pan hot.
I try to avoid animal fats due to already high blood fats but I don't
see why it wouldn't work. My folks always used bacon grease or lard to
oil up the pan.

One of my favorite meals is still cornbread and milk, particularly on a
cold day. Crumble up the fresh cornbread, pour cold milk over it, add
some diced onion and freshly ground black pepper, then eat it. Repeat as
needed.

During some of our hard times in the early days of our marriage we all
ate either cornbread and milk or cornbread and beans. Nothing like giant
limas cooked slowly until done with onions, garlic, diced sweet chiles,
and either a ham hock or some sliced up smoked sausage. Add a little hot
sauce at the table and dig in. Don't forget the Beano though. <VBG>