1 cup self-rising cornmeal; OR one cup regular cornmeal, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking powder
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1 large egg
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 425. Grease a cast-iron skillet with vegetable shortening or lard and let it come up to heat in that oven.
2. Add a tablespoon of cider vinegar to a cup of milk, stir and let sit as it sours and curdles.
3. Mix the 'dry' ingredients, cornmeal and flour, in a separate bowl from the 'wet' ingredients: the egg, oil, and soured milk.
4. When the milk is soured and the oven is up to the right temperature, and the skillet is heated and ready to go, then, working quickly, mix the 'wet' and 'dry' ingredients together. Don't worry about getting it completely smooth, but do break up any big lumps. Overmixing the batter will cause the cornbread to come out dense and tough.
5. As soon as the batter is mixed, take the cast iron skillet from the oven, and pour the batter into it. Do not stir.
6. Return the skillet to the oven and bake until the top is golden-brown, has started to crack a bit, and the cornbread has begun to pull away from the sides of the skillet. This takes about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your skillet.
7. Dump the cornbread from the skillet onto a cooling rack so it does not continue to cook.