icon Tex-Mex Cornbread Muffins
(from Texas Monthly magazine)

Cornbread is typical Texas home cooking. The principal ingredient is cornmeal, coarse flour made from corn (maize). Stone-ground cornmeal retains some of the hull and germ, lending a little more flavor and nutrition to this recipe. It is roughly equivalent to Italian polenta.

This Tex-Mex version with green chile peppers brings nice zing to the table, making the otherwise homely cornbread much more lively.



Texas Monthly magazine published this recipe in 2015. It can be used either for cornbread baked in a skillet, or for muffins.

 

 

 

Ingredients:
  • 2 tbsp bacon drippings or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal, if possible stone-ground
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup fresh corn, cut from the cob
  • 1/4 cup sweet onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh poblano chile, chopped (or jalapeño chile or any other green chile)
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation:

  1. Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk, then add to the bowl of dry ingredients. Add the corn, onion, chiles, and cheese and stir to combine.

  2. If making muffins, prepare a muffin tray: grease muffin cups by brushing the bottoms and sides with the bacon drippings, shortening or softened butter, or spraying them with nonstick cooking spray. Or use paper liners, which do not require greasing.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 deg F (190 deg C). Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups, place the muffin tray on center rack of the oven and bake until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

  4. If making basic cornbread, grease a cast-iron skillet with the bacon drippings, then place in the oven and heat to 450 deg F (230 deg C).
  5. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour the melted drippings into the batter. Give the batter a quick stir, then pour it into the skillet. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cut into wedges and serve.
  6. YIELD: Serves 4-6.

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    Last updated: March 10, 2017