Recipes

The World’s Best Cornbread—And, Yes, It Involves a Grill

I recently dined at my new favorite barbecue restaurant in Miami: Apocalypse BBQ. While the brisket dazzled and the ribs required ordering seconds, what really blew my mind was the cornbread.

It had been baked in skull-shaped mold (try that for Halloween) and came slathered with butter and honey. It looks great. It tasted great. And it definitely belongs at your next barbecue.

Grilled Cornbread Just Hits Different

Cornbread has long been a traditional accompaniment to barbecue—especially in the South. I wondered if there was a way to make it even better.

The answer—you guessed it—involves a grill.

When I make cornbread, I grill a few ears of corn first and cut the kernels into the batter. The grilled corn adds a smoky sweetness, and the fire charred kernels gives the cornbread color and texture.

While I’m at it, I also grill a couple poblano chilies, because the smoky heat adds an extra dimension of flavor.

And speaking of smoke, some grated smoked cheddar cheese will definitely up your game.

Sure, you can make this cornbread with the cheap gritty yellow cornmeal sold at the supermarket. But you’ll get better results with small-batch, stone-ground yellow cornmeal from an artisanal gristmill, like Red Mill or Anson Mills.

So here, then, is the Raichlen grilled corn poblano cornbread. Order a skull-shaped cornbread mold for fun and get ready for the best cornbread you’ve ever tasted!

Grilled Cornbread Recipe