From the menu of -- Harold's Barbecue

A: Kay Branyon, who owns Harold’s along with her brother Lee Hembree, was glad to give us a ballpark recipe. “First we take 3 half-gallons of buttermilk,” she said, and then she called out a list of ingredients used to make great sheet pans of the cornbread that’s been on the menu since Harold’s opened in 1947. We downsized the recipe for something a little more manageable at home. Branyon warns us though that it just won’t taste like Harold’s. She’s given out the recipe before, and she swears there’s something about their cornmeal that’s just different. Pork fat is available from a butcher or at Your DeKalb Farmers Market.

Harold’s Cracklin’ Cornbread

Handson: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Makes 12 squares

1 pound pork fat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 cups self-rising cornmeal (not cornbread mix)

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

In a medium saucepan, heat cubes of pork over medium high heat until they begin to render their fat, stirring constantly. Turn heat to medium-low and continue to cook until fat has rendered and cracklings have shriveled, about 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot; you don’t want the lard to start smoking or turn brown. Strain out the cracklings. The melted fat is lard; set aside 3/4 cup for this recipe. If not using right away, refrigerate the lard and cracklings for up to a week.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease an 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, buttermilk, eggs, 3/4 cup lard and cracklings. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut cornbread into 12 pieces. Cool slightly before serving.

Per square: 246 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 5 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 15 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 49 milligrams cholesterol, 435 milligrams sodium.

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