A little bit of buttermilk can give me a whole lot of inspiration in the kitchen! This morning, the little reservoir in the bottom of the South Mountain Creamery bottle that has been in my fridge since I made biscuits a few weeks ago was calling my name. It was sitting next to a package of Niman Ranch Pulled Pork (no sauce) that I bought last week during a period of intense work activity when I knew I wouldn’t have much time to cook. And there was green pepper on my counter starting to get a little bit sad and saggy. Breakfast was born.
After looking at other folks’ takes on pulled pork pancakes online, here’s where my motley mix of on-hand ingredients landed me and Damon: pulled pork crisped up in the skillet on low heat, with sliced pepper and onions slowly cooking down alongside in a drizzle of bacon fat; savory pancakes made with equal parts all-purpose flour and whole grain yellow cornmeal, and equal parts milk and buttermilk; Maryland maple syrup from S&S Maple Camp warmed up with a shot of Fireball cinnamon whiskey to bring the whole stack together with a touch of sweetness.
The Niman Ranch pulled pork was tasty, especially for the zero effort it required from me. It almost makes me swoon to think that this dish will be even better when I cook and pull the pork shoulder stashed in my freezer from Sylvanaqua Farms. I think I’ll save that bit of pork delight for a time when the kids are home, too – yes, I love them that much!
Here’s the recipe for the pancakes. This is how I made them today. I might try them in the future with all buttermilk, but then again, if it ain’t broke, why try to fix it?
Savory Cornmeal Pancakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole grain cornmeal (mine is from Weisenberger Mills in Kentucky, a gift from a friend’s travels)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsps baking powder
Whisk the flour and cornmeal together in a large bowl (one with a spout makes pouring the pancakes easy). Stir in the buttermilk until all the flour and cornmeal is moistened – it may be stiff, almost like a dough. Let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes, which helps the cornmeal hydrate and not be crunchy. (It might work even better to soak just the cornmeal and then add the flour, but that’s not what I did this morning!)
In the meantime, slice your onions and peppers and start the pork and vegetables heating in a skillet. You can leave these on medium-low heat, drizzling in a spoonful of oil or drippings and stirring them a bit as needed, while you cook all the pancakes.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then stir in the milk. Pour this into the moistened flour mixture and stir with a fork to incorporate and help smash any large clumps. Once you have a nice batter – it will have some lumps, which is fine – sprinkle the baking soda and baking powder on top and stir in well.
Cook on a pre-heated griddle or skillet, which you wipe with vegetable oil between batches, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Makes about 15 4-inch pancakes.
Renee Eats Local 