Preheat your oven to 425° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Cut in the cold butter using a fork or pastry cutter. The mixture should have pea-sized lumps.
Stir in the grated cheese and black pepper with a fork and pour in the milk. Stir until the dough is a shaggy, wet mess. Once it mostly comes together, use your hands to fold in the dry bits that haven't been incorporated. You want to be very gentle and use your hands as little as possible. Focus on folding the dough over onto itself until it mostly comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a 1 ½-inch-thick disc. Using a sharp biscuit cutter (or a round cookie cutter), cut out circles. I used a 3-inch inch cutter. Place the dough circles onto your prepared baking sheets.
Sprinkle a generous amount of black pepper and grated cheese over the top of each biscuit.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.