Notes of a Ham Connoisseur

November 25th, 2009

Bring the Funk

I had an all-meat breakfast today. I had to try the country ham I ordered from Scott Hams.

I had planned to buy a ham from Col. Newsom’s, but they wanted about $90, which is just too much. It’s almost twice what other companies charge. Their hams are fantastic, but it’s not like they invented the concept. Anyone can cure a ham, if he is willing to let it hang long enough.

I fried up a big slice, along with two chunks of my homemade pork sausage. Here’s the verdict. This is a very nice ham for people who are new to country ham. But it’s too tame for me.

My grandmother cured her hams for two years, and they turned dark red inside, and they smelled wonderful. They were very salty and acidic, and they made a lot of delicious grease gravy when she fried them. This ham has almost no funk to it, and it’s not very salty. I fried it without adding water to reduce the salt, and I still found the salt content too low.

The sausage was a thing of beauty, as always. I’m so glad I bought a meat grinder.

I’m thinking I may get my next ham from Benton’s, in Tennessee. They sell very old hams. But they use sodium nitrite, which is not exactly traditional. I’ve read up on this stuff, and supposedly, it can make food carcinogenic if used in large amounts. Some people claim it gives them migraines. Ham companies use tiny amounts, so it should not be a cancer risk, but I’d rather just have salt.

I have a lot of stuff to do today. Pumpkin pies, boiling potatoes, injecting the turkey, and making cornbread, for starters. I think I’ll skip the pecan pie and see if anyone notices.

Any day that starts with meat is a beautiful day.

Posted in Food and Cooking | 4 Comments »

4 Responses to “Notes of a Ham Connoisseur”

  1. Juan Paxety Says:
    November 25th, 2009 at 1:34 PM

    My Anglo grandfather cured country hams. He was reared in the rural Georgia, so he knew the old fashioned way to do it. I wish I’d learned from him. He would talk endlessly about the ham he was curing, how good it would be, etc. It seemed like he talked for 10-years, but it was probably more like two. Finally the big Sunday slicing of the ham. His slices were so thin, they had only one side. They were so thin, I couldn’t taste the ham for the biscuit it was served on. I can’t tell you if it was good or not – but I’ll bet it was very good.

  2. pbird Says:
    November 25th, 2009 at 2:55 PM

    Had some real ham just once in my life in Scottsville, Virginia I think it was. It was a revelation. I don’t know if they made it themselves or bought it. The whole place was a revelation. There isn’t much to Scottsville. We were looking for breakfast and there didn’t seem to be a place there, but, as I was driving down the street out of the corner of my eye I noticed a guy sitting at a table on the sidewalk working something over like with a fork and thought ah ha! Went a round the block and it was the best breakfast ever. I hope I haven’t told this story before.

  3. Elisson Says:
    November 25th, 2009 at 4:05 PM

    Give the Germans credit for (at least) one thing: There is no way to have a meatless breakfast in Germany. At least, not a proper breakfast.

    From best to Wurst, is what it is.

    Enjoy the blessings of Thanksgiving, Steve-O.

  4. pbird Says:
    November 25th, 2009 at 4:47 PM

    http://www.nolacuisine.com/2005/11/14/andouille-sausage-recipe/
    Good site. Might be fun to play with.

    Ditto on German and Austrian breakfasts. Still miss em.