Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Rub the inside of a cast iron skillet or a 9-inch metal pie plate with a generous amount of bacon grease. Heat the greased pan in the hot oven while you’re mixing the batter (a minimum of 5 minutes at 425). You want the hot fat to be almost smoking.
3. Stir together all of the dry ingredients, except the cheese.
4. Add the hot water and melted butter and give it a quick stir to incorporate, then stir in the eggs. The batter doesn’t need to be completely smooth, but you don’t want any large clumps and it should all be incorporated.
5. Gently stir in the cheese.
6. Remove the heated skillet or dish from the oven and immediately pour in your batter. You should hear a nice sizzle when the batter hits the skillet. This is normal.
7. Return the skillet to the oven and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.
8. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake another 10 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let stand to rest 5 minutes, then loosen the cornbread around the sides of the skillet to release, and cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm with plenty of butter.