Smoky, salty glory

Most days, in our household, breakfast is cold cereal and coffee or juice. But I truly love breakfast, especially when I have the time and inclination to get cooking. I recently fixed some country ham slices – in all their smoky, salty glory – along with biscuits, eggs, grits and red-eye gravy. It had been years since I’d made this breakfast. For all the reasons I love it, it is not health food or something you should eat regularly. But I have to admit that red-eye gravy (made from the ham, water and a bit of coffee) is one of my absolute favorites, especially when it is poured over creamy grits and sprinkled with black pepper.

My father was raised on a farm in North Carolina. Our family spent nearly every Easter and Thanksgiving of my growing up exploring the woods, raking leaves, gathering pecans and eating wonderful meals with my grandmother, aunts and their families. Salt-cured ham was a special offering on rare occasions. More often we ate scrapple, breaded in corn meal and fried, or blood sausage, a pork product that is formed in a casing and turns black when cooked. I know some people turn up their noses at both foods, but they are part of the fabric of the rural South; and two of my childhood favorites.

My youngest son could not remember me ever making salt-cured ham (I told you it has been years) and I wondered if the saltiness would turn him off. He loved the ham and biscuits and eggs. Less so on grits and red-eye gravy. I am a grit fanatic, as are my older son and daughter. I will keep trying with my youngest; it seems a crime for any southern child to refuse to eat grits.

Here’s how I cooked my ham and rendered the fat for red-eye gravy:

Heat a teaspoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ham slices. You can purchase these in most grocery stores. Last week, regional food authority Fred Sauceman profiled a local provider in a segment on WJHL 11 Connects with Josh Smith. For this meal, I bought a small package from a local grocery store that included about 6 slices.

Cook over medium heat until the slices brown slightly; turn over.

After about 8-10 minutes of cooking (4-5 minutes per side), I added about ½ cup of water to the pan.

Cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove the ham from the skillet with a slotted spoon. To the skillet add ½ cup strong coffee and mix completely.

I add black pepper to my red-eye gravy, but no additional salt.

We had quite a spread for breakfast: scrambled eggs, red-eye gravy, biscuits, grits and the country ham.