Cast Iron Skillet Buttermilk Cornbread

1. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2. Mix together white cornmeal, yellow cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Add buttermilk, lard, and vegetable oil; stir well to combine. Mix in egg until smooth batter forms.

3. Remove hot cast iron skillet from the oven, melt butter in the hot skillet, then pour in batter. Top with paprika and kosher salt. Return the skillet to the preheated oven.

4. Reduce temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and bake until cornbread is golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the skillet, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Cook's Notes:

For a lighter version, you can substitute the lard and butter with your favorite cooking oil; substitute the buttermilk with 2 percent or skim buttermilk; do not sprinkle the top with kosher salt.

To turn up the heat, add a 4-ounce can of diced green chiles to the batter; substitute the paprika with cayenne pepper.