Cornmeal-Crusted Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cups buttermilk 
• 1 cup cornmeal 
• 2.5 cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 0.5 cup lard fresh unsalted cold for tops of biscuits cut into cubes, plus butter
• 0.5 cup lard fresh unsalted cold for tops of biscuits cut into cubes, plus butter

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• whisk
• spatula

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 50
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar together in a large bowl.
3. Add lard and rub into flour mixture with your fingertips, or use two knives to cut it in, until flour looks like fine meal with some pea-size lumps.
4. Make a well in flour mixture and pour in 1 cup buttermilk. Blend flour into buttermilk with your fingers.
5. Mixture should be quite moist; add a little more buttermilk if you need to (with lard, it's likely).
6. Spread half the cornmeal on a work surface and turn biscuit dough onto cornmeal.
7. Sprinkle with rest of cornmeal and pat into a 10-in. round, pressing in the cornmeal. Grease a large cast-iron skillet.*
8. Cut dough into 12 wedges. Using a spatula, transfer wedges to pan, spaced slightly apart so edges get crisp. Top each biscuit with a dab of butter.
9. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
10. *Order fresh lard from your butcher, or buy at a farmers' market. You can also bake biscuits on a baking sheet, spaced a little apart, if you like.
11. Make ahead: Through step 5, 2 hours.