President's Day All-American Weekend: Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Have you ever had actual buttermilk biscuits. I am not referring to those weights given out free with KFC. I am not talking about the god-awful frozen things sold in supermarkets that will eventually kill you. I am talking about real homemade southern buttermilk biscuits made with real butter and lard or shortening. If not, then you are in for one of lifes true pleasures. Bake these babies up, slather them with sweet creamery butter and honey and tell the rest of the world to go-to-hell!

Now I know some of you are saying to yourselves "shortneing and lard, no way - not healthy." To you I say...WRONG! First of all, in the course of a week I am sure you load your body with more poison than in a silo at Dow Chemical. Secondly, lard and/or shortening are a natural food. No one is saying make them a staple of your diet but dammit, if you're going to cook southern food then do it right.

This recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits was my grandmothers and let me tell you, this lady could cook southern food and she did it right, with fat! I don't know where she first got the recipe (I assume from her mother) but it creates some of the best damn buttermilk biscuits I have ever pigged-out on and to top everything off, they're light!

Biscuits are an American treasure. I cannot even fathom having fried chicken without some kind of biscuits. And what would country gravy be without biscuits. You don't find biscuits around too much anymore (not real biscuits anyway). Restaurants will serve you bread, but not biscuits and this is a damn shame. Biscuits are fun to make and pretty easy and quick as well.

So enjoy one of my favorite vices, real southern homemade buttermilk biscuits!

Ingredients needed to make Homemade Southern Buttermilk Biscuits (amount depends on size):

• 6 Tbs. chilled butter, diced
• 1/4 cup lard (or shortening)
• 4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbs. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Steps:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon sheet.
2. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the buttermilk. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter and lard into the flour until it is crumbly (you can use your fingers as well).
3. Add the buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together.
4. Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few minutes.
5. Pat the dough down until it is about 1-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter (or the open end of a glass) and cut out the biscuits.
6. Place the biscuits onto the prepared pan.
7. Place in the oven and bake 15 minutes or until golden.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

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