Bacon grease my brotha! Not healthy,but damn tasty! Dice up some of the bacon and toss in the pieces. In the Southeast(US), a lot of people use fresh lard and the remaining pieces that don't get rendered out are called cracklins. You put that in the bottom of a cast iron skillet and pour the cornbread batter over it. Yummy artery clogger ahoy!
Some peeps also use smoked neck bones in their beans. Puts off a little bits of meaty goodness and gives that smokey flavor. Tasty! It's worth it to just buy them just to see the look on the cashier's faces in the more uppity type grocery stores.