Jalapeno Bacon Cornbread.

Method

1. 01

   Soak cornmeal in buttermilk overnight

   600 min

   Let stand at room temperature for 8-12 hours.

2. 02

   Preheat oven to 400°F

   15 min

   Get that oven hot and let it sit for the full 15 minutes — you need the cast iron screaming so the bottom crust sets up golden and crispy, not gummy.

3. 03

   Bake bacon until crisp

   30 min

   Monitor closely, 20-45 minutes depending on thickness.

4. 04

   Drain bacon and reduce oven to 350°F

   5 min

   Crumble bacon and reserve fat for greasing pans.

5. 05

   Mix dry ingredients in first bowl

   3 min

   Flour, baking powder, baking soda, seasoning, and sugars.

6. 06

   Beat eggs and mix with honey-butter

   4 min

   Use two separate bowls then combine.

7. 07

   Combine wet ingredients with soaked cornmeal

   3 min

   Stir until the wet ingredients are fully incorporated into the cornmeal and you don't see any dry pockets, but don't overmix or you'll toughen the crumb.

8. 08

   Mix cornmeal mixture into dry ingredients

   4 min

   Mix slowly to thick pancake batter consistency.

9. 09

   Fold in corn and diced jalapeno

   2 min

   Fold gently by hand until the corn and jalapeño are just distributed — a few streaks of unmixed batter are fine, overworking it kills the tender texture you're after.

10. 10

    Heat baking dish with bacon fat

    10 min

    Place greased dish in 350°F oven to preheat.

11. 11

    Pour batter and top with bacon

    5 min

    Carefully remove hot dish, add batter, press bacon on top.

12. 12

    Bake cornbread at 350°F

    37 min

    30-45 minutes until golden brown and 195°F internal.

13. 13

    Let cornbread cool before cutting

    15 min

    Let it rest on the counter or a rack so the residual heat finishes the cooking and the crumb sets up properly; cutting it hot will just tear and crumble on you.

From Mike's Notebook