CRACKLIN’ CATHEAD BISCUITS

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 8 Servings

Comment:
The creator of this recipe obviously thought that the uneven shapes of the biscuits resembled cats’ heads. Often in Louisiana, we add extra flavorings to our biscuits, such as bacon bits, minced smoked sausage or my favorite, hog crackling. Hog crackling is commonly found in South Louisiana; however, spicy pork skins may be substituted in this recipe.

Ingredients:
¼ cup spicy hog crackling or spicy pork skins
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup shortening
4 tsps butter
⅔ cup buttermilk

Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place the cracklings or pork skins in the bowl of a food processor and chop until fine. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt then pulse to blend well. Add shortening and butter then pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Using a large cooking spoon, blend buttermilk into flour mixture until moistened. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until it comes together. Do not overwork dough as the less it is handled, the flakier the biscuits. Break dough into 8 equal portions and pat approximately ½ inch thick onto a baking sheet. Biscuits should be irregular in shape, but no more than ½ inch high and 1 inch apart. Bake 10–15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. NOTE: To make the famous “Ugly Biscuit,” cut dough into 5-inch rounds and ¼ inch thick then turn one-third of dough over in a turnover fashion before baking. You may wish to fill turnover portion with ham, bacon and cheese, etc.