Grill-Baked Skillet Cornbread

I grew up in Philadelphia eating "Northern-style" cornbread that verged on the sweeter side. The cornbread I knew had a subtle sweet corn flavor, with a light, fluffy, and tender crumb. At potluck cookouts, I’d often find cornbread relegated to a supporting act, often at the end of a picnic table buffet line and playing second fiddle to mains like smoked ribs or grilled chicken. It wasn’t until my early adult years that I tried and fell in love with "Southern-style" cornbread and its hearty, corn-forward flavor and  more rustic texture. 

While I love both of these styles of cornbread, and value the key differences that are described in Joshua Bousel’s Northern-style cornbread recipe, and Daniel Gritzer’s Southern-style unsweetened cornbread recipe, I wanted to try my hand at a cornbread recipe that offers the best of both these styles—neither too cake-like nor too austere. I wanted a cornbread recipe that is tender and sweet, yet bursting with a decidedly savory corn flavor, a sturdy moist crumb, and a dark brown crust.

I found the best way to achieve this was to bake the cornbread on my outdoor grill. By folding charred corn and poblano peppers directly into the batter and baking on the grill, cornbread takes on a complexity that frankly surprised me. It might even steal the show from those meaty mainstays it's usually served alongside.

I describe at length in my article on the basic techniques of baking on a grill why I love doing it so much. Grill-baking, as I like to call it, is a great way to incorporate complex and often unexpected notes of char into baked goods. Not only does the grill add a smoky flavor to the cornbread itself, but I also use it for charring the corn and poblanos first over direct heat. Applying fire and char to corn can turn it from mild and sweet to earthy and nutty, and charred fresh chiles like the poblano I use in this recipe also transforms them in magical ways. 

I made versions with and without the poblanos and I found the fruity and mild background heat of the poblanos to be a welcome addition to the cornbread. The chopped and charred poblano and corn kernel mixture not only deepen the flavor of the cornbread, but add welcome moisture and texture to it. To build even more roasted, nutty flavor into the cornbread, I also toast the cornmeal itself in the dry cast-iron skillet until it is fragrant, stirring to ensure even toasting.

Once these flavor-boosting steps are done, the batter is easy to mix together outdoors right beside the grill. I add a hefty amount of sour cream to the batter for richness and tang; its acidity also helps activate the baking soda, which works to tenderize the cornbread and promotes browning. I added a tablespoon of sugar to the batter as well to balance out the savory char flavor. I recommend having a prep table next to the grill so that the cornbread can be pulled together easily, and having all of your ingredients measured and ready before starting the recipe. 

The finished bread comes off the grill lofty and golden, with a delectably crisp bottom, charred edges, and a tender crumb. It’s not fully Southern in style, nor Northern in style, but when cut into hearty wedges, this grill-baked cornbread can hold its own on the dinner table.