What Does Cornbread Taste Like? Does It Go With Meat?
People usually get confused by the taste of cornbread, and they cannot decide on the combinations they should make with this type of bread. This is quite common and understandable since a delicate flavor characterizes cornbread, and its taste can be altered in several ways. So, what is the actual taste of cornbread, and is it possible to combine it with meat?
Cornbread tastes mostly like its base ingredient, i.e. corn. It is usually sour due to buttermilk or sour cream and served as a side dish. However, this bread can have a sweet flavor if it is combined with sugar and be served as dessert. It goes well with many dishes, including meat, such as pork steak, beefsteak, or fried chicken.
This article is mainly focused on the various tastes of cornbread, and it explains how you can get different flavors in this type of bread. In addition, I have included some combinations that you can make with cornbread, and how you can pair this baked good with different kinds of meat. I have discussed cornbread’s beneficial properties, so you will know what you consume when you add cornbread to your meals.
Is Cornbread Meant to Be Sweet?
Many people are still pretty much confused about the real taste of cornbread. Sometimes cornbread can have sweet flavors, while sometimes, it may taste really savory. If you have tried already-made cornbread and tasted two different types, you may not be sure how cornbread should actually taste.
The truth is, cornbread can be made according to different recipes, and you can achieve different flavors when following a particular recipe. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to cornbread taste. Sometimes cornbread is indeed sweet, and sometimes it can be sourer.
This is because people make cornbread according to their own needs and preferences. Namely, if you want to obtain a sweeter flavor and taste, then you should include sugar in the mixture.
On the other hand, if you aim towards cornbread with a sour taste, then you should go for more buttermilk in the recipe.
However, the base always stays the same, i.e. you will always notice the dominant ingredient – corn. Depending on your preferences, you can choose whether you want to achieve plain or sweet flavors. Also, you can choose between a denser or lighter, cake-like texture.
When you make the cornbread, you decide on the flavors that your bread will have. If you already know how to combine it, you will definitely know which flavors and tastes you want in the cornbread. This type of dish is a very good side option, and you can make a great variety of combinations.
Is Cornbread Considered A Dessert?
Cornbread is not a dessert, but some of its alternations are considered desserts. Cornbread is somewhere between bread and dessert.
If we look at its origins, people invented cornbread because the regular flour was too expensive, so they needed to find an alternative. So, we can say that cornbread was not invented to serve as a dessert.
But, cornbread is not real bread since it doesn’t contain yeast and you don’t knead it like dough. Furthermore, cornbread is not a dessert because people mostly eat it like a side dish, just like potatoes, white bread, rice, etc.
However, you can easily play with cornbread’s flavor. That’s why you can find very sweet cornbread in the South of the US and Latin America. In those parts of the world, people tend to add a lot of honey, molasses or agave nectar, and eat it like a dessert. This is not odd since corn itself has a slightly sweet taste.
The rest of the US likes sour cornbread more that has sour cream or buttermilk added. They eat it with chili, bacon, steaks, etc.
What Meat Goes With Cornbread?
Since cornbread can often be sweet, many people do not think of combining it with any type of meat. However, cornbread can be a really good side dish with meat, you just have to know which combinations are appropriate. In other words, you have to choose the type of meat carefully, so you would be able to combine it with cornbread.
Below, I have included some tasty combinations that you will immediately want to try. You may be surprised by the flavors you can achieve by mixing meat and cornbread in the same meal.
Beefsteak
Beef is a type of meat that can be cooked at different temperatures, and you can obtain different textures of the same. This flexibility makes beef compatible with cornbread, and this combination will actually blow your mind.
You may use beef in a stew along with some cornbread cubes, or in a sandwich that will include cornbread as the base and beefsteak as the main ingredient.
Another popular use of cornbread is as a side dish for chili con carne. It is almost as popular as tortillas, and people love it because it makes the perfect balance between sweet, sour and spicy flavors.
Pork Steak
Cornbread is the perfect type of bread for pork dishes. In fact, pork usually tastes better with cornbread than other bread types. You can eat pork steak in a cornbread sandwich, or as a regular dish with a slice of cornbread on the side.
Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is meat that goes well with any kind of bread. However, in combination with cornbread, it gets special flavors that you have not experienced before. After you try this combo, fried chicken will never taste the same for you. Therefore, do not hesitate to try this mix of ingredients, especially if you are a big fan of fried chicken.
Roast Duck
If you have prepared roasted duck before, you already know that this meat is combined well with sweet sauces. This means that the addition of cornbread on the side will taste great. The roast duck and cornbread combination makes a great balance between sweet and salty, resulting in a seriously delicious meal.
Is Cornbread Healthy?
If you look into the nutritional values of cornbread, you will see that this type of bread contains a high level of carbs and a high number of calories. [1]
However, it also includes some healthy and beneficial nutrients, such as protein, selenium, phosphorus, and B vitamins. These are important for leading a well-balanced and healthy diet.
It would be proper to say that cornbread would be a healthy addition to your diet and a better option than pasta.
What Does Adding An Extra Egg To Cornbread Do?
When baking, the first thing you have to consider is keeping the texture moist enough. This also refers to cornbread. You do not want to end up with a dry baked good because that kind of cornbread will be good for nothing.
That is why you have to always think about the moisture in your baked goods. Specifically, you might consider adding an extra egg to your cornbread. Namely, an extra egg will definitely keep the texture moist enough, but it will also give your cornbread a more eggy flavor.
What is more, by adding an extra egg, you make your cornbread more nutritious. As you already know, egg whites are quite rich in protein, meaning that they can definitely affect the texture of your cornbread. The egg yolk is the ingredient that keeps the cornbread texture moist.
This being said, it is up to you to decide whether you want to go for a whole egg, or just one or the other. Whatever you decide, you will not make a mistake since the properties of an egg will only make your cornbread tastier and more nutritious. Therefore, never leave eggs out of the possible choices for making your cornbread moist and rich in proteins.
What Ingredient Holds Cornbread Together?
Cornbread is supposed to be a little bit crumbly, but not so much, so you will need a spoon to eat it.
To make the texture properly, so it will not fall apart, you need to know which ingredient will help you obtain that. In fact, it is not so important to include the ingredients, as much as it is important to know the proportions of each ingredient.
Namely, to make cornbread, you need both cornmeal and flour. Flour is the ingredient that holds cornbread together, but you need to know how much of it you actually need to include in the dough.
Many people mistake using a high proportion of cornmeal, but then, the bread does not contain enough gluten, so the ingredients cannot hold together, and the cornbread becomes really crumbly.
To avoid this, make sure that you use less cornmeal and more flour. Also, make sure that you do not use a lot of fat to achieve the consistency you need. In addition, do not forget to add an extra egg to make the texture moist enough.
If you have read every information included in this article, you know that cornbread can taste differently, depending on people’s preferences. The most important thing to consider is that cornbread can be combined with different types of food, including meat, and it can be a great addition to flavors. Therefore, do not hesitate to experiment with it in the kitchen.
