• 2 cups flour, plus more for rolling out biscuits
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground Black Tellicherry Peppercorn 
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, plus 1 teaspoon to grease the pan
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or your fingers, until the bits of shortening are grainy and well incorporated.

Add 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening to a 9 inch cast iron skillet and put it into the oven to preheat.

Sprinkle the pepper over the top of the flour/shortening mixture, and then add the buttermilk, mixinggently with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead briefly and pat into 1/2" thick round. Cut out the biscuits into eight 3" discs.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and swirl the shortening in the bottom of the pan. One at a time, carefully rub the top of each biscuit in the hot shortening and flip it over in the pan, arranging them so that they are nestled in and barely touching. The light coating of shortening on the top of each biscuit will help them brown up nicely.

Return the pan to the oven and bake about 12 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown.