Cracklin’ Cornbread is a southern classic. It’s savory flavor is provided by fried pieces of pork cracklings. Pairs well with Fresh Collard Greens and Smoky Collard Greens.
The key to preparing good cracklings (also known as cracklin’s) is to remove the “very hard meat skin” from the edges of fried salt pork fat back. Many enjoy it as a snack. The skins must be consumed slowly to prevent cracked teeth! They’re THAT hard.
As for the cornbread, simply crumble the soft fried pork and mix into batter before baking. The cornbread is tasty by itself. Also good drizzled with honey or maple syrup.
DISCLOSURE (NOT SPONSORED): Pictured products are personal favorites I purchased and used to make this delicious recipe.
For this recipe, I used Royal Food’s brand of Cured Salt Pork Fat Back which is very salty. Boiling before frying will decrease salt and make it just right for consumption. Fried in my super efficient cast iron skillet provided by Lodge Manufacturing.
Although fried pork is tender, the hard outside edge (meat skin) can damage teeth. Remove hard edges and discard. Do not add to cornbread batter.
How To Read & Follow A Recipe
Reading a recipe is an important life skill. It starts with knowing how to read a recipe’s ingredients, follow the instructions, prep ingredients, and knowing what equipment to use.
The following tips and strategies will help beginners or experienced cooks create a delicious dish as intended in the recipe.
Start with clean hands and organized kitchen. Wash hands thoroughly. Make sure kitchen and countertops are clean before making a recipe.
Create a relaxing environment. Play favorite music while in the kitchen. I love listening to classical or gospel music.
Read the recipe. Don’t just quickly skim it. Thoroughly read from start to finish. Visualize doing each step which will help you avoid missing a step.
If you see ingredient that you and your family don’t use for whatever reason, use a substitutions or omit the ingredient.
My recipes are packed with helpful tips like shortcuts and serving sizes which save time time and help with meal planning.
Pay attention to the order in which ingredients are prepped. For example, 1 cup of chopped pecans is not the same as pecans, chopped (measure whole pecans and then chop).
Know the assumptions. For example, when my recipe calls for “sugar,” use granulated sugar. If brown sugar is an ingredient, it will be written as such in the recipe.
Figure out the timing. Check the listed “prep time” and “total time” to be sure you have enough time to complete the recipe.
Look for hints, such as the words “meanwhile” or “at the same time,” which indicate two or more steps can happen simultaneously.
For example, my prep time doesn’t include bringing cold butter up to room temperature. Be sure to include in your timetable.
Watch Recipe Videos. If you’re a visual learner (like me), watch recipe videos. Perfect for when you’re learning a new skill or just want to see how a recipe is made.
Mise en place is a super time saver. This French cooking term translates as “putting in place.” It means prepping/measuring ingredients and chopping food before you start cooking. It’s the perfect way to get organized and avoid missing an ingredient or missing a step in the instructions.
Organize your tools and kitchen equipment. Mise en place isn’t just for ingredients. Before starting, make sure you have parchment paper, aluminum foil, measuring cups, measuring spoons, the right pans, mixing bowls, and other equipment.
Make notes in your recipe. Note any special prep instructions and highlight cooking times. Make note of ingredients omitted, favorite substitutions and creative twists.
The notes will be very helpful the next time you make this recipe.
Enjoy!
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 5 thick slices cured salt pork fat
- 1/2 cup water for boiling
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup self-rising white cornmeal mix
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour, sifted See recipe notes for all-purpose flour.
- 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- TIP: Add 1/4 cup corn muffin mix for extra flavor and thickness.
Ingredients
Cracklings
Homemade White Cornbread
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- Place all ingredients on the kitchen counter. Use an 8" skillet (thick cornbread) OR a 9" skillet (thin cornbread). Cornbread will be baked in the same skillet in which cracklings are fried.
- Place 5 slices of cold pork fat back strips in preferred sized cast iron skillet or other cookware. Cover with water.
- To decrease salt, simmer over low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Drain water before frying. To remove all salt, cover with 1 cup of water. Boil 20-25 minutes over low heat. Drain the cloudy water before frying.
- Leave meat in skillet over low-medium heat. Meat will produce a little fat (also called lard). Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
- Fry until light golden brown on both sides (3-4 minutes each side). WARNING: Place a lid over skillet as a shield of protection from popping HOT fat.
- Turn off heat. Drain cracklings on paper towels. To protect teeth, remove hard edges (aka meat skins). Crumble soft cracklings. Set aside. Leave drippings in skillet.
- Make the cornbread (recipe below).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In medium sized bowl, combine cornmeal mix, flour, sugar (if using), eggs, and buttermilk. Stir until smooth. Small lumps okay. Set aside.
- Over medium heat, heat skillet with drippings until hot. Pour in cornbread batter. Sprinkle top with crumbled cracklings.
- Reduce oven to 375. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and cornbread is golden brown.
- Serve hot.
Your recipes look great but I needs little more instructions on preparing the cracklin. How long do you cook the salt pork and how much water do you use?
Thank you for visiting and for the compliment! I’ve updated the recipe and added a recipe video. The amount of water depends on the size of your skillet. I suggest starting with 1/4 cup. Gradually continue pouring just until pork strips are covered with water. Simmer for about 10 minutes to decrease salt. The pork will need a “little” salt for seasoning. Drain water before proceeding. If you taste fried pork and it’s bland, simply sprinkle it with a little salt before adding to cornbread batter. Please let me know if I may be of further assistance. Enjoy!