Props to a Chowhound forum post for the recipe, but it's a bit jumbled and imprecise so I'm writing my own version here. If you find supermarket cornbread mixes too sweet, too gritty, or just want to save a few bucks, this is your recipe. The crust is toothsome, the interior light but intensely corny, and the sugar is felt rather than tasted so you can serve it with chili or on the side with honey.
Masa skillet cornbread
1.5 cups instant yellow masa (you'll find this in bulk at any Mexican market for cheap, I bought Maseca-brand masa instantánea de maíz amarillo but look for any all-corn variety of the type used to make tortillas, with no leavening or additives)
.5 cup AP flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, divided (I used high-fat cultured butter)
2 eggs
1.5 cup milk (I used 2%)
Preheat oven to 425F and heat a 12" cast iron skillet in the oven or on the stovetop at medium heat. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into cubes, and rub into the masa mixture with your fingertips, like a biscuit dough. Add the two eggs and a cup of the milk and mix. Add more milk until it forms a batter that flows, but slowly. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and swirl to make sure the sides get covered. Add the batter and bake for 20 minutes. When the top is just starting to get golden brown in spots and a toothpick comes out clean, it's done. Invert onto a plate to preserve the crispy, deep golden brown crust. Everyone in our family hailed this as an instant classic.
