That means that I personally read each and every one of them before they are approved for posting on our family friendly home here on the Internet. -Steve, Your email address will not be published. I don’t know that for certain. That said, I’ve never learned how to make red-eye gravy. Be Blessed!!! Just found your page and I am really enjoying it. The gravy needs to reduce down to about half it’s volume and the flavors will become more intense and concentrated in the process. Thank You for the suggestion. I tried your Westwater Country Ham but nothing came up. Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy and Grits September 5, 2008 Red-eye gravy, a classic Southern preparation, is a thin sauce made from the drippings of fried country ham and brewed coffee. Serve over ham slices or biscuits. Cut slits in the skin and fat around the ham edges to prevent curling while cooking. I appreciate you taking the time to share your results with us, and I’ll look forward to hearing from you. The highest-cured Southern country hams (sometimes aged as long as eighteen months) can be thinly sliced and eaten raw, like prosciutto. Transfer the slices to a heated plate. I’ll review them and post them just as soon as I can. We’re going to use the pan drippings from the cooked ham to make our Red Eye Gravy. 2 to 3 large slices country ham. Shrimp and Grits with Red-Eye Gravy … Yep, there’s some coffee in that cup. Red eye gravy, country ham and biscuits is the best breakfast ever! This will help keep the ham slice from curling so bad while it cooks. Be Blessed!!! This red-eye gravy served with ham has been a favorite breakfast food for over a hundred years. Hi Nancy, Sugar just seems to make everything better, doesn’t it? -Steve. Printable recipe included. Thanks for your advice and be well! Your Red Eye Gravy should be ready in just a few minutes. YUM!!!! I’ve made red eye gravy and like to serve it over grits for breakfast. The quality is great too. I would do it again. Should you ever decide you’re no longer interested, it’s even easier to unsubscribe. https://www.tasteofsouthern.com/country-ham-and-red-eye-gravy Hi Rick, It really is good, I still hope you might get to try the gravy one day. Printable recipe included. According to Wikipedia, red eye gravy is a dish typically served in the Southern United States. When the pan gets hot, drop in about one Tablespoon of Butter. Remove the pan from the stove and pour the gravy in a small serving dish or gravy boat. Same with things like good old fashioned country ham. Hi Steve, Be Blessed!!! If they didn’t have one, she’d ask that they “burn it” for her. Bring ham drippings to a boil. The Genuine Smithfield Ham is a world-famous country ham – aged, smoked, and dry cured with salt for 6-12 months. The thing about country ham: you don’t have to cook it much if you don’t want to. I’d love to hear your comments on our recipe in the Comment Section at the bottom of this page. Christmas isn’t complete without a country ham or two in my family. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bouillon cube and stir to incorporate. I prefer to soak my slices in water for 30 minutes to an hour to try and reduce some of that salty taste. These carefully prepared hams make for the perfect gift or flavor-packed centerpiece for a special meal. I left it on this slice. The sauce is based on Red-Eye Gravy, another classic southern recipe that is made with coffee and served over country ham. You’ll need to taste it to see if it needs anything. And, you can’t go wrong with adding some grits or hash browns. Be Blessed!!! ★☆. Place a skillet over medium heat on your stove top. Country ham biscuits and red eye gravy are back in my life. Sign Up For Our FREE Newsletter: While you’re here, be sure to sign up for our FREE Newsletter. Remove ham from skillet, reserving fat. Ham should reach at least 165º surface temperature to be fully cooked. I’m certainly going to try it the next time I make some Red Eye Gravy. Let the pot return to a boil, cover pot with a lid, lower the temperature, and cook for approximately 30 minutes stirring occasionally. -Steve. Thank You in advance and for all of your support. -Steve. Serve the gravy over the Through the years, many a person has started their day with a breakfast consisting of Country Ham and Red Eye Gravy. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve alongside a slice of country ham and homemade buttermilk biscuits. Your Comments: Have you ever made Red Eye Gravy? Place the ham in the skillet. Add more water if necessary. I learned to make red eye gravy from the Hillbilly Hideaway in Walnut Cove, NC They add a little bit of brown sugar to the recipe and it is so much better than just coffee and water. … Be Blessed!!! A glass pie dish comes in handy for soaking one or two pieces. I appreciate your comments and do hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. ★☆ 3/4 cup cold coffee. RED EYE GRAVY AND COUNTRY HAM FLAVOR Artificially Flavored with Imitation Ham Bits 4.7 (27) That’s an option that’s entirely up to you. One set of grandparents (Spike and Katie) lived in Frog Jump, TN. I’m using cool tap water, straight from the faucet. But when not using fresh ham you’ll have less drippings. Grits are done when they have the consistency of smooth cream of wheat. Amazon.MindyMT. Most center cut slices of ham are pretty large. Fry ham slices in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. It’s always good to hear about other families traditions. -Steve, Steve – I grew up in the South (central GA) and am familiar with most of the food you present. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain well; reserve … To the pan, add the coffee and water and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Also, I understand that Benton Hams over in Tennessee are very good, but I’ve never tried them myself. The story of Country Ham and Red Eye Gravy So-called country hams are special hams. So, if you’re ready… Let’s Get Cooking. It will steam up and start to deglaze the pan. I do hope you’ll give our Red Eye Gravy recipe a try. 3/4 cup water. Thanks for your efforts. You might also like to keep a bit of Jelly handy to help offset the saltiness in the Country Ham, but either way you try it… Enjoy! It’s still going to be pretty salty even after you soak it. Also, if anything else is going on around here, like a Giveaway, or something else of importance, I’ll send out a special note about that. This is … Thank you in advance. Add the fat from the ham and render. Your email address will not be published. I appreciate your comments and hope it will encourage someone else to give this old Southern favorite a try. Just place the ham in the dish, cover with water, and let sit for for about 30 minutes or longer. Remove it from the pan and add flour to the drippings string till smooth ,2T for each cup of liquid. When it’s ready, remove it from the pan. The gravy may be somewhat of an acquired taste, but it’s too easy to make to not give it a try. It’s an interesting read and brought back lots of memories from my childhood as I watched my dad rub salt all over a ham or two right after we had killed hogs on Thanksgiving Day. Red … The name itself comes from the appearance of the gravy once it’s been placed in a serving bowl. Most hams purchased today cannot really be called "country hams." Delicious side dish recipe with ham, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings! I’ve tried it a couple of times but it never comes out the same. Country Ham itself is a cured ham, first mentioned in print back in 1944, and referred to as a method of curing and often times smoking of pork meat. Mix flour and water to make a runny paste. I appreciate your comments and do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Cut large ham slices in half for ease in cooking. Cut through the layer of fat around the slices about every three inches. Use a spatula and scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir the liquid. My mom (and grandmothers on both sides of my family) always made this whenever country ham was around. It was easy to make and came out very well. The origin of the name is debated, … Soaking is not required but I highly recommend it. They make caffeine-free coffee you know, or so I’m told. Do you have any suggestions about where we might buy real country ham. Hi Tammy, I think you’ll really enjoy the recipe. Remove ham from pan, add water and coffee and bring to a boil for about 2 minutes. Then, add in the water. You want to break all the bits and pieces free from the bottom of the skillet. Hi Yvonne, Thank you for sharing your memories of Ham and Red Eye Gravy with us. Pour coffee into the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. It’s easy to sign up, just use the box below, or the one you’ll find in the top right hand corner of each page of our site. Then, place your skillet over medium heat on your stove top. The Gravy The fat base we are using is butter and bacon grease. It’s typically very salty. Pour the cool coffee into the skillet. Try frying a slice in part of a can of Coke or apple cider for something different. Country Ham is usually very salty. I also try to respond to as many comments as possible, so be sure to check back in a day or two for that. You fry a piece of country or smoked ham. Sure sounds yummy but since I quit consuming caffeine, I have to leave off the red eye gravy. As you can see, this is one slice of ham and it fills up my 10 inch skillet. Dinner tonight was this recipe with grits and roasted mustard greens with onion… It all came out perfect! Be Blessed!!! http://bentonscountryhams2.com/. Be Blessed!!! Slowly fry ham slices on both sides, in a cast iron skillet until lightly browned on each side. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bouillon cube and stir to incorporate. Rinse ham slices in warm water; dredge in flour, reserving 2 tablespoons for gravy. I do appreciate your visit, and hope that you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Country ham is very salty, so you probably won't need to add extra salt to the ham or gravy. Thank you so much! Shrimp and Grits with Red-Eye Gravy is a fun twist on traditional Shrimp and Grits. You could call them and see if they ship their products. If you enjoy Country Ham and ever cook it at home, the gravy is just too quick and simple to not try out at least one time. Thanks for sharing the country ham and red eye gravy. Whisk in the grits. Keep up the great work, and do stop by for another visit with us… real soon. If you have more than that in the pan, pour it out but save all the hard bits and pieces inside the skillet. ★☆ Country ham with biscuits, eggs, & redeye gravy! Then, reduce the heat and let the gravy simmer and reduce. Have a great day! Michael, Hi Michael, I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern and appreciate your comments regarding our recipe. My brother and I talk all the time on our trips about how food just doesn’t taste like it use to. It will only take you a minute or two to share them with us, and if you try our recipe, your comments might encourage someone else to try it. I hope you can find some that you will like. You will not be disappointed! My grandpa’s favorite, so as a kid, THIS is what we had for Thanksgiving. Pour cool coffee into skillet, scraping pan to deglaze and loosen any ham bits. Tags: breakfast, coffee, country ham, gravy, ham, made from scratch, main dishes, our state, pork, red eye, red eye gravy, Steve Gordon, Taste of Southern, Category: Main Dishes, Pork, Sauces-Gravy. We’ll see. There is no better word to describe the flavor of this Country Ham! Remove the ham from the pan and set aside on a plate and keep warm. They have a website, and they do ship, so might be worth checking out. ★☆ I’ve never heard of Frog Jump, TN, but I do love the sound of it. Country Ham with Red Eye Gravy - Salty, dry cured country ham with red eye gravy flavored with strong black coffee served with a side of cheese grits. -Steve. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it. -Steve. Cook country ham slices and make this gravy for a real breakfast treat anytime. Some folks soak in milk, but water will work just fine. Required fields are marked *, Rate this recipe If you don't want to use ham, you could try making the gravy by frying up bacon and using the … Some folks also like to remove the “rind” or outer skin layer from the ham slice prior to cooking. Keywords: Country Ham with Red Eye Gravy Recipe, made from scratch, breakfast, pork, southern recipes. When the fat is rendered, add the ham steaks and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides. Wonder how it got it’s name? Country Ham and Red Eye Gravy Virginia hams or Smithfield hams are universally recognized to be the country’s finest, and serving these hams with red eye gravy is a … I always enjoy your column and the great recipes you publish. It will be easier to fry if you’ll cut the slice in half. Serve the Red Eye Gravy as a side with your Country Ham slices. Through the years, many people have started their day with a breakfast consisting of country ham and red eye gravy. 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