OT question: avoiding shortening for cornbread?

I've noticed the more authentic (ie, not in a "cooking healthy/ light/
lowfat/ etc" book) cornbread recipes always call for shortening to
coat the pan.

Would it be a disaster to use spray Pam or something instead?

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

Not if you're baking it! (Actually, i thing the REAL
"original" cornbread - also called "hush puppies" -
contained no shortening at all, but was was deep fried, like

Monique Y. Mudama...

I wasn't sure, so I bought some shortening. It claims to be about
half the fat of butter, so maybe shortening isn't as bad as I thought.

doughnuts.)

sriddles...

Ooo. I love hush puppies. That's one of the things I miss on the
heart-healthy diet. Around here, though, hush puppies are different
than cornbread, more highly seasoned and have onion in the batter and
kind of bite-sized. Best when served with fried catfish. :-)

Monique Y. Mudama...

I've made cornbread with onion (and green chiles and cheddar) before.
Yummy, just different.

But I agree; hush puppies are different. They have that almost
crunchy outer coating around a soft center. I do think they're deep
fried.

Fried cornbread is just, well, fried cornbread. Just a thicker batter,
and you fry it in hot oil. Like you're cooking a pancake, but more oil.

Monique Y. Mudama...

Don't think I've had this before.

jmcquown...

Fried cornbread is like cornmeal pancakes. Nothing wrong with them, mind
you :) Hush puppies definitely have minced onion. Never heard of hush
puppies cooked in butter. Shortening and/or lard, yep.

sriddles...

I've never heard of them fried in butter either. I don't see how anyone
could--can't see how you could get the butter hot enough to deep fry
and keep them from all falling apart.

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

Oh yes, definitely lard, for preference - but deep-fried,
anyway. I haven't had any for a very long time, so I don't
remember how they were seasoned, but if you guys say they
contain onion, I'll take your word for it. They certainly
had more flavor that what I've had as "cornbread" since -
perhaps the difference lies in the seasoning.

Karen...

When you use vegetable oil to deep fry, it actually get sucked into the
food, permeating it, using lard the outside cooks and what clings to it
is all you get. Lard is actually less fatty to fry in.

If you ever want an eye opening experience, Read The Good Fat Cookbook

Monique Y. Mudama...

Hum ... is there a way to address this for oil fondue?

by Fran McCullough.

sriddles...

That's interesting info. Although I don't eat it myself, I still fry
breaded okra, breaded squash, catfish, etc. for DH occasionally. I have
always known that breaded things cook better with lard. I just never
used it becuase I honestly felt like I was serving up poison or
something. I should read that book.

Karen...

It's absolutely fascinating and you can get it real low priced off of
Amazon. I got one for a bunch of different people and gave it to them.
Honestly, lard is better for those things. That's why things cooked in
lard stay fluffy or crunchy in the middle and don't get greasy soggy.

jmcquown...

Not a ridiculuous question and the only reason I use shortening and is
because I bake my cornbread in an 8" cast iron skillet and shortening keeps
it seasoned. Sure, use PAM if you want. It won't hurt :)

Matthew...

Take it from a Hillbilly who loves his black skillet cornbread Pam
won't hurt a thing

Just coat the skillet real good and get the skillet nice and hot before
you pour in your batter than back in the oven real quick

The do make healthy light shortening just got to look for it but nothing
like a good batch of fat lard to cook in and make the corn bread nice and

Monique Y. Mudama...

I did find that light shortening stuff. Well, no trans-fat, anyway.
But ... and I know you're going to be deeply disappointed in me ... I
put it in a glass 8" square pan.

It was pretty good, though. Surprisingly good, since I used a recipe
that involved a lot of sugar and no buttermilk at all. Not the type
of cornbread I'm used to, but tasty, with just the right texture.

crunchy

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

There's no real substitute for lard, in some things! I have
never encountered the equal of my grandma's piecrust, and
she used nothing but lard for it. When I first moved to
California, I used to enjoy Mexican pandulces, but the
commerical bakeries that sell them long ago switched from
lard to vegetable shortening, and they just don't TASTE the
same! (Victor, you wouldn't happen to have a recipe for
pandulces hiding somewhere, would you?)

Sorry the Kentucky country boy in me was a talkin'

Damn I made my self hungry off to the kitchen to make some

Julie Cook...

As a Georgia southerner (who has participated in the MuMu discussions in
the past) I relegate cornbread to the category of special treat allowed
only occasionally since I *have* to make cornbread with bacon drippings.
Ummmm, cornbread from my grandmother's black skillet made with
cornmeal, buttermilk and bacon drippings - nothing else. The best meal
in the world is homemade vegetable and beef soup with cornbread,
cantaloupe and sweet tea. And for dessert - ummmm, anybody else like
cornbread crumbled up in a glass of buttermilk?

Sam...

Gee, Julie! My mouth was waterin' until you got to dessert (Can't stand

sriddles...

No egg or baking powder, or flour?
I remember now my mom putting bacon grease in the batter. I'd
completely forgotten about that. Never sugar, either. I'd love to have

Julie Cook...

Exactly. My mother always had a can of bacon drippings in the refrigerator.
I have to cook bacon when I make cornbread. About 2 heaping tablespoons of
bacon drippings melted in a cast iron skillet. Mix equal parts of
self-rising cornmeal and buttermilk then carefully pour the bacon drippings
into the batter and mix. Pour the batter back into the skillet and put it
into the oven to bake.

I'd love to have some of that right now. It was wonderful with stew, or
pinto beans 'n

some of that right now. It was wonderful with stew, or pinto beans 'n
ham (with chow chow), or just about anything else. My grandfather used
to crumble cornbread in a glass with whole, raw milk.

Julie Cook...

Whole,sweet milk (since I don't have cow I don't drink raw) works as well as
buttermilk - either way it is delicious.

Jo Firey...

I'd have to pass on the buttermilk too. And I like buttermilk.

Part of the reason I make cornbread is so I can have the left over in a bowl
with regular milk the next morning.

buttermilk!).

Julie Cook...

Well, Sam, you could crumble the cornbread into regular sweet milk, it's
just as good that way.

I just don't have much use for shortening, so I don't see the point of
buying any (okay, and I just got back from the store when I had this
idea about cornbread).

Is shortening what gives it the crunchy edges?

Should I just suck it up and go to the store? This particular recipe
calls for half a stick of butter, so I don't suppose using spray
instead of shortening will exactly make this "healthy."

sriddles...

I always use Pam. I cook my cornbread in a well-seasoned iron skillet
though. Pam would work well on nonstick pans too I'm sure.
Normally (or at least around here)....the pan is coated well with
shortening, and then heated very hot in the oven before you pour your
batter in. That could very well contribute to crispy edges.
The butter just keeps the cornbread from being crumbly. I never put
butter in it either, and it turns out fine; just not as moist as with
butter.