True Grit - Corn Dodgers

ME: In the John Wayne movie True Grit, there was an item called corn dodgers. Do you have a recipe for that?

ChatGPT: Absolutely! Corn dodgers are a classic old-fashioned Southern cornmeal dumpling—very fitting for True Grit. They’re simple, rustic, and perfect with beans, stew, or fried pork.

Here’s a traditional-style recipe close to what would’ve been eaten in the 1800s:

🫓 Old-Fashioned Corn Dodgers

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

½ cup boiling water

1 tbsp bacon grease or butter (traditional = bacon grease)

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar (optional, but common)

¼ cup milk (as needed)

Optional: a pinch of baking powder (for slightly lighter dodgers)

Instructions

Scald the cornmeal

Put the cornmeal in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over it and stir until thick.

Add fat & seasoning

Stir in the bacon grease (or butter), salt, and sugar.

Adjust texture

Add just enough milk to make a thick, moldable dough—not runny.

Shape the dodgers

With wet hands, shape into small oval logs (like mini torpedoes).

Cook them

Heat a skillet over medium heat with a little bacon grease.

Fry the dodgers 2–3 minutes per side until golden and crisp.

Serve hot

Best with beans, chili, stew, or just butter.

🔥 Notes

• These are not sweet like cornbread—very savory and hearty

• In the 1800s, they were often cooked in a skillet over a fire

• You can also bake them at 400°F (205°C) for ~15 minutes