What’s your opinion on cured country hams?

YukonRon

Being from Kentucky, and enjoying country ham as I do, I can share with you this; There are several artisans in the state that command outrageous prices (several hundred dollars up to around a thousand) for their country hams, and they get it, too.

It is a delicacy here, and served frequently as appetizers at major and formal functions. A Kentucky Derby party, of any worthiness, will have served this with small angel biscuits. It is easy to find, look for the people standing around in formal attire, waiting on the next silver tray to be brought in from the kitchen, as this morsel from the Pork Gods is gone immediately, when served. 

If there is an opportunity to purchase any country ham at half price, I think it would be a rewarding investment to the buyer. It is true, the salty flavor is something you will immediately notice, however, as when mentioned above, in the serving portions and suggested recipe methods, it is, without any doubt, as close to perfect as you will ever taste.

Country ham is not just for breakfast, it will be an enhancemet to any meal at any table. I have excellent wine pairings for serving country ham. If interested, just let me know.

As if there needed to be another reason to envy you.

Enjoy my brother.

1WVU

As some have mentioned, you’ll either like it or hate it.  Not much in between.  I love the stuff, especially on a biscuit.  My wife thinks it tastes like metal

jeffwit

I’m sure I’ll be mocked for this, but is the country ham that you guys are describing worlds different from the country ham you get at say Cracker Barrel? I’ve only had the Cracker Barrel stuff and thought it tasted like salty shoe leather. 

tarheelmatt

Love country ham.  

Good on biscuits.  

Good in all kinds of beans and greens.  Add a hunk or two to beans to give some flavor.  Kinda like you'd do for fat back or salt pork.  

Woodchunk

jeffwit said:

I’m sure I’ll be mocked for this, but is the country ham that you guys are describing worlds different from the country ham you get at say Cracker Barrel? I’ve only had the Cracker Barrel stuff and thought it tasted like salty shoe leather. 

I don't know what Cracker Barrel sells but this is about salt cured hams. They have to be soaked, sometimes for many days, changing the water many times, and scrubbing and rinsing when you change, all depending on your salt taste.

they all are tough if not carved properly, on a slant perpendicular to the bone, and as a rule thinly sliced. I have had ham biscuits  that you could not even chew the ham, one of two things or both, not cooked properly or carved.

so yes, they can be like salty shoe leather

when ours would get down near the end we would cut it off in chunks, grind it, and use for ham salad or with eggs.

SciAggie

Don't hate me. I picked up the ham for $30.00 #winning

thetrim

#Winning4Sure

YukonRon

$30.00. As @Lousubcap has said, on many occasions, it is often better to be lucky......Congrats my friend.

northGAcock

Nice score. Hope you can make a good home made biscuit. If you can, I man be on the next plane to Texas.

SciAggie

northGAcock said:

Nice score. Hope you can make a good home made biscuit. If you can, I man be on the next plane to Texas.

Book a flight my friend. I actually make darn good biscuits 

SciAggie

YukonRon said:

$30.00. As @Lousubcap has said, on many occasions, it is often better to be lucky......Congrats my friend.

I almost feel guilty.

onedbguru

Love country ham.  Got my parents one for Christmas - they are originally from south-central VA. If done right it is a bit salty but not overly so.  Sliced and placed on an angel biscuit - sometimes with a bit of yellow mustard... Like heaven.

lousubcap

@SciAggie - To complete the standard phrase started by @YukonRon "Better to be lucky than good any day."  Great score for sure and know that "what goes around, comes around" so you have done some great deeds in the past-your turn right now.  

stv8r

No soaking country ham here lol.  I love the salty goodness.  I'd slice it and vacuum seal in portion sizes.  What a bargain at $30!  Nothing beats a piece of pan fried (minute or so on high each side) piece of country ham with some over easy eggs.  Drag that ham through the yoke and chase with a bite of a delicious biscuit....HEAVEN

SandyHookEgger

SciAggie said:

northGAcock said:

Nice score. Hope you can make a good home made biscuit. If you can, I man be on the next plane to Texas.

Book a flight my friend. I actually make darn good biscuits 

SciAggie said:

northGAcock said:

Nice score. Hope you can make a good home made biscuit. If you can, I man be on the next plane to Texas.

Book a flight my friend. I actually make darn good biscuits 

They are some good looking biscuits. Will go well with your $30 win!

bucky925

northGAcock said:

My opinion is lightly steam pieces (3-4 inches in diameter), .....place between a top and bottom of a freshly made home made biscuit. Serve with grits. Have your lady take a picture of the smile on your face. 

To address your question (sorry for the trip down memory lane)....cut it, vac seal and freeze it in portion packs. Thaw and steam under low heat. 

And you forgot redeye gravy!

thetrim

Those biscuits look incredible!

bucky925

In her later years, my Grandmother would make one biscuit .  If it turned out she would make a full pan of "cat heads"  country ham, red eye gravy and cat head biscuits....her most often quote was "a meal fit for a king" !  I learned a bunch from the old gal, loved eating lunch with her when I could.  I still have her cast iorn skillets.  

SoCal_Griller

Wow.  This country ham thread sure brought out some great stories and memories.  Must be something about that ham...  I need to try one.

g8golfer

bucky925 said:

In her later years, my Grandmother would make one biscuit .  If it turned out she would make a full pan of "cat heads"  country ham, red eye gravy and cat head biscuits....her most often quote was "a meal fit for a king" !  I learned a bunch from the old gal, loved eating lunch with her when I could.  I still have her cast iorn skillets.  

Nothing better than cat heads and gravy 

SciAggie

SoCal_Griller said:

Wow.  This country ham thread sure brought out some great stories and memories.  Must be something about that ham...  I need to try one.

This. I’m enjoying the comments immensely. The connection between family, tradition, and comfort food is special. A meal at a three star Michelin restaurant never evokes the memory of a steaming breakfast set by your grandma in a kitchen warmed by an old Dearborn gas heater.

northGAcock

SciAggie said:

northGAcock said:

Nice score. Hope you can make a good home made biscuit. If you can, I man be on the next plane to Texas.

Book a flight my friend. I actually make darn good biscuits 

Oh my.

onedbguru

SciAggie said:

This. I’m enjoying the comments immensely. The connection between family, tradition, and comfort food is special. A meal at a three star Michelin restaurant never evokes the memory of a steaming breakfast set by your grandma in a kitchen warmed by an old Dearborn gas heater.

At the age of 5 or 6, I learned that if you didn't get up early enough at my grandmother's house, you had to fix your own breakfast.  I learned to cook scrambled eggs on a wood cookstove or go hungry.  Here's a tip, it only has one temp. HOT. A scrambled egg took 6.8 seconds. (give or take a few) and the Virginia country ham only took a few seconds each side to be hot enough to go with those eggs.

Teefus

g8golfer said:

bucky925 said:

In her later years, my Grandmother would make one biscuit .  If it turned out she would make a full pan of "cat heads"  country ham, red eye gravy and cat head biscuits....her most often quote was "a meal fit for a king" !  I learned a bunch from the old gal, loved eating lunch with her when I could.  I still have her cast iorn skillets.  

Nothing better than cat heads and gravy 

You can make a proper breakfast with sausage too. Dad would often make Grandma's recipe of biscuits and sausage gravy, all in the same cast iron skillet. First the biscuits, then the sausage, then a roux made from a couple crumbled up patties and all the drippings, then whole milk and pepper to finish it off. Once thick, spoon it on the biscuits. That and a couple eggs checked all the boxes. Not cardiologist approved.

Smoker317

Nice coincidence, one of the guys I work with brings me back a ham from Kentucky twice a year or so.  I paid just shy of $35 for this ham last week.  It hanging in the garage which is pretty dark this time of the year.  LOL  I have not heard about the pairing with wine thing, that sounds delicious.

Possumtrot

Growing up in Nashville we would frequently have country ham. Fried in skillet and then fry green apples in the drippings. (The Salt and sweet combination made it great). The other way was to soak ham as mentioned before and then bake it. Afterwards, carefully remove bones and take to store and they would put on slicer and slice it very thin. We’d freeze most to use during year. Great on biscuit or fry slices to crispy and use instead of bacon on BLT.  Good food. 
PS.  My dad died at 51 of heart attack. I’ve made it quite a bit longer through better choices (probably)