Biscuits with Daddy's Left-Handed Gravy

• servings: 2 dozen biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 heaping tablespoon cornmeal

2/3 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

Sift together the flour, bakign soda, bakign powder, and salt into a large bowl.

Cut in the lard with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.

Add the buttermilk and gently mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.

If the dough is too tacky, add a bit more flour. Knead the dough for 2 minutes.

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Roll the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or an overturned glass, cut out hte biscuits. It's okay to reroll the scraps to cut more biscuits, if you need to.

Bake on an ungreased baking sheet until golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. The biscuits can be wrapped tightly and frozen up to 2 weeks.

To make the gravy, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cornmeal and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the salt and milk and stir, cooking until the gravy has thickened to the desired consistency. Spoon the gravy over split hot biscuits and serve.