Nashville Hoecakes with Pitmaster Pat Martin

<p>On <i>Play Me a Recipe, </i>your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. </p><p>On this episode, Pitmaster Pat Martin talks about the quintessential hoecake and some of the principles of barbecue. </p><p>If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below </p><p><strong>Recipe</strong></p><p>10 to 12 hoecakes (1 or 2 per person)</p><ul><li>2 1/2 cups medium-ground white cornmeal</li><li>3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper</li><li>1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt</li><li>1 egg, beaten</li><li>3 cups whole buttermilk</li><li>1/4 cup lard or bacon grease, melted, plus more for cooking</li><li>4 tablespoons butter, melted for brushing</li></ul><ol><li>Prepare a medium-high grill (4 to 5 seconds using the Hand Test)</li><li>In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, pepper, and salt.</li><li>In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk to combine. Wile whisking, add the warm pork fat to the egg/buttermilk mixture slowly to prevent the egg mixture from cooking. Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and use a whisk to stir until smooth but do not overmix. It should have the same consistency as pancake batter.</li><li>Set a cast-iron skillet on the grill and let it heat up for a few minutes. Brush the skillet with a 1 teaspoon of the lard and heat until it looks shiny. Working in batches, scoop 1/3 cup batter into the pan for each hoecake and cook, without moving, until the batter starts to slightly lift around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the hoecakes, brush the tops with the melted butter and cook until bottom is golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Place the cooked hoecakes on a platter and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.</li><li>Repeat until all the batter is cooked. Serve immediately; hoecakes will dry out if you try to rewarm