Country ham is a variety of heavily salted ham preserved by curing and often but not always by smoking, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States.[1]

Country ham
A baked country ham ready for serving
Baked country ham
TypeMeat
CourseMain course
Place of originVirginia, United States
Similar dishesJinhua ham

Production

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Country hams are salt-cured (with or without nitrites) for one to three months. They are usually hardwood smoked (usually hickory and red oak), but some types of country ham, such as the "salt-and-pepper ham" of North Carolina, are not smoked. Missouri country hams traditionally incorporate brown sugar in their cure mix and are known to be milder and less salty than hams produced in more eastern states such as Kentucky and Virginia. They are then aged for several months to 3 years, depending on the fat content of the meat.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Nosowitz, Dan (December 24, 2016). "Check Out These Sick Hams From Around The World". Modern Farmer. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  2. ^ Kaminsky, Peter. (2005). Pig Perfect: Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them. Hyperion. 304 p. ISBN 1-4013-0036-7

Further reading

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  • Megan E. Edwards. "Virginia Ham: The Local and Global of Colonial Foodways". Food and Foodways 19 (Jan. 2011). pp. 56–73.