Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt.

Add the butter and, using your hands or a pastry cutter or fork & work the butter into the dough. The mixture should look like coarse sand. Add the cheese and stir to thoroughly incorporate it into the dough.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Don’t overmix.

Use a scooper or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to scoop the dough and drop it in mounds onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean.

Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack. The biscuits are best served slightly warm.

Store the biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 days.