Holiday Recipe - Cornbread Dressing
Holiday Recipe - Cornbread Dressing
by Ron Williams
November 13, 2001
Why You Don't Hear, "I'll Beat The Dressing Out Of You."
Cause you don't put dressing inside of the bird! Stuffing and dressing aren't the same. Most of the stuffing I've ever tasted, I was ready to beat out of the bird. Dressing is good stuff, though not for stuffing!
Dressing is a family heirloom for most folks. The way your Momma made it is the only way you'll ever like it! How moist the dressing is, how much sage you use, whether there's hard - boiled eggs in it, and all those other variables keep there from being a definitive recipe. Just like barbeque.
So here's a starting point for making dressing; you can fiddle with it until you like it. Then all your young - uns will never like anybody else's dressing ceptin' yours.
Cornbread Dressing
First thing, you gotta make some cornbread. Buy some Martha White Cornbread Mix with Hot Rize Plus, heat your cast iron skillet in the oven with a 1/4 cup of shortening in it and follow the recipe on the side of the sack. Toast 4 slices of store - bought white bread and get it into bread crumbs (use a processor or a blender). Crumble the cornbread fine and combine it with the toast crumbs in a large mixing bowl.
Chop some onions and celery (and green pepper and some green onion if you choose) - about 3 cups total. Cook with 2 T butter in a skillet until the onion starts to color - 5 minutes or so. Toss that into the mixing bowl. Add 1 or 2 Tablespoons of Poultry Seasoning and 2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon of rubbed sage, some salt and pepper and throw in the bowl. I add 4 chopped hard boiled eggs, too.
Now pour in some chicken stock - homemade is best, but you can use store - bought chicken broth if you have to. Depending on how moist you like your dressing - I like mine pretty moist - sort of the thickness of spoiled buttermilk. You're gonna need 4 - 6 cups of stock. Mix it all up. Pour it in a 9 by 14 baking pan and stick it in a pre - heated 350 degree oven for around 30 - 40 minutes - until the top starts to brown a bit. Eat until you hurt.
I was going to try to give directions for making dumplings, but I learned that violates several statutes of Tennessee State Law and is punishable by tofu burgers for life.
Tip of the month: The best cut of beef for grilled steaks: Ask your butcher to cut you the "cap" off of the bottom sirloin - also sometimes called a "tri - tip". This is a perfectly lean triangular piece of meat weighing 1 to 3 lbs, about 2 inches thick. Season and grill over hot coals for 30 - 40 minutes (or to 140 degrees). Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes and slice in inch slices. As tender as a fillet and much more flavorful! You'll thank me for this if you've never cooked this cut!!!
Take it easy, keep it greasy!
- Ron
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