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Carolina Hominy Ham Biscuits

Source of Recipe

From "Biscuit Bliss" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"When Bill Neal was alive, his restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Crook's Corner, drew people from all over the country eager to sample his authentic Southern cookery. Bill prided himself most on his biscuits, and surely none was so sumptuous as his upscale, slightly sweet rendition of 'redneck biscuits' made with hominy and North Carolina's finest mountain-cured country ham. Dried hominy is available in some fine food shops (especially in the South), but since it can be a mess to deal with, I strongly recommend you use the canned variety, which can be found in most supermarkets."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon sugar
â—¦ 2 tablespoons chilled lard
â—¦ 6 tablespoons whole milk
â—¦ ½ cup canned white hominy, rinsed in a colander
â—¦ ½ cup finely diced cured country ham


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the lard and rub it in with your fingertips till the mixture is mealy. Stir in the milk, then beat in the hominy and ham till well blended, adding a little more milk if necessary for a soft dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead three to four times. Roll out ½ inch thick and cut out rounds with a 1 ½-inch biscuit cutter. Roll the scraps together and cut out more rounds. Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart, and bake in the upper third of the oven till golden, about 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes about 20 biscuits