6 strips bacon
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons milk
Reserved bacon grease
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 1/3 cups beef or chicken stock
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat your oven to 425 F.
Place the uncooked bacon in a pan over a medium-high heat, and fry until very crispy. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve the bacon grease. Once cool, chop the bacon up into very small pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, shredded cheese and bacon.
Create a well in the center of the mixture, and add the cream and milk. Use your hands to combine the ingredients, then, when it resembles a shaggy dough, turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead 2-4 times, until it just comes together.
Roll the dough out to be about an inch thick, and then use cookie cutters or a glass to cut out biscuit shapes.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and line the biscuits up on the sheet, leaving about an inch between each.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
While the biscuits bake, place 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease in a heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium heat. Once warm, add the flour, two tablespoons at a time, stirring regularly, and waiting for the flour to disappear completely before making the next addition.
Add the milk in a steady stream, stirring constantly.
Once the milk is incorporated, stream in the chicken stock, whisking continuously.
Allow the mixture to simmer and thicken about 10-12 minutes. Taste for seasoning before serving over the biscuits.
