Navajo Blue Cornbread
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
1 small onion, minced
2 Tbsp. lard or bacon fat
1 cup blue cornmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup pork cracklings
1/4 cup minced jalapeno chiles
2 red Fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450F. Saute the onion, jalapenos and red Fresno chiles in the lard. Combine the blue cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder, and add the onion-chile mixture along with the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into a hot cast-iron skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve with some jalapeno butter.