Despite some of us having genuine and legitimate southern pedigrees I’ll be the first to admit we’ve done our fair share of poking fun at (some) Southerners.
To claim us overtly biased against the South, however, would be a lie worthy of high ranking political office.
Without a doubt we love chasing redfish on south Texas flats and in Louisiana marshes, over-stuffed largemouths and their charging toilet-flush strikes, Guadalupe Bass and brightly-colored 5-inch brookies from Appalachian cricks.
It’s the Dr. Dumbasses and Texas based Montana trout experts that make us cringe, though on the other hand they do provide wondrous blog fodder.
One thing we’d never, never ever kid around about, on the other hand, would be the great food that the South perpetually turns out.
Some if not most of the greatest foods known to man have come from the South. Don’t quibble, you know it’s true. Real Virginia hams, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken fried steak, grits, and with a sweeping tip of the hat to Texas, we’ll even throw Dr. Pepper and cheetos on the list – just to name a few.
But the crowning glory might be a down-home, flaky and golden southern biscuit, like your grandmother used to make from memory every morning, if not every meal.
One of grandma’s secrets was using a soft red winter wheat flour (White Lily or Southern Biscuit), that and stunningly fresh ingredients and mixing it all by hand in a worn-out, magic mixing bowl.
We had a friend send this very, very good recipe a few weeks ago – Pepper Cheddar (Bacon) Biscuits. The cheddar chunks add very nifty little pockets of baked cheddar goodness, the pepper just enough of a hint of piquant and the crumbled bacon – hell, it’s bacon. (The bacon was her idea, and it’s a damned fine one.)
Try this one.
You’ll agree the South’s biscuits should rise again.
2 cups southern flour (White Lily or Southern Biscuit)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup buttermilk, room temp
5 ounces (or so) medium sharp cheddar, cut into 1/4 cubes
2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces crumbled, crispy bacon if desired (use the good stuff)
Get ready. Line a baking sheet with parchment, brush it with a bit of melted butter and preheat the oven to 450.
Mix it up, gently. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the softened butter using a pastry cutter or your hands; do a thorough job here – you’re looking for pea-sized pieces or smaller.
Now stir in the buttermilk until just moistened (don’t overwork the dough) then very gently stir in the cheese cubes, the crumbled bacon if using and the pepper.
Cut a biscuit. On a well-floured surface pat the dough out to about 3/4 inch and cut into 2 inch rounds. For a crispier crust place about an inch apart on the baking sheet; for a moister, more fluffy biscuit, place them touching on another. Gather the dough, pat out again and cut.
Bake. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake in the hot oven for 10-12 minutes.
Serve ‘em up. Best piping hot right out of the oven though damn good with a slice of ham by the river too.
Enjoy.
