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Country ham is a dry-cured ham from the American South, cured through a slow process and available through specialty butchers. Smithfield Ham is a popular type from Virginia. The ham is salted, hung, and cold smoked before being dry aged and losing up to 20% of its weight. It must be soaked and prepared before consumption due to its strong salty taste.
Country ham is a type of dry-cured ham originating in the American South. Unlike town ham, the more widely available ham in the United States, this type of ham is cured through a long, slow process that produces a highly stable ham with a very complex flavor that some consumers resemble ham and other large hams dried . Like other specialty hams, country ham is usually available through a boutique butcher or by special order, and some consumers prefer to order directly through butchers in the American South.
One of the most popular country hams in Smithfield Ham, from Smithfield in the state of Virginia. A long history accompanies Smithfield ham, which traditionally came from peanut-fed pigs. While the dietary requirements for the pigs processed in Smithfield Hams have been relaxed, they still have to come from Virginia and are usually associated with higher quality. Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina have also been producers of great hams, with slightly different regional variations on their country hams.
To make a country ham, the meat is liberally salted and hung in a cool place for several weeks. Salt can be mixed with sugar to add extra sweetness, and sometimes peter salt is also mixed to keep the red color. Many producers also cold smoke their hams with maple or walnut smoke. Once cured, the ham is dry aged and in this process it loses up to 20%, and sometimes even more, of its initial weight. After dry aging, the ham is packaged for sale.
An unopened country ham should not be refrigerated, as the curing and curing process stabilizes the meat. However, it is still not edible. First, the consumer has to scrape the outer layer of the ham to remove the surface salt and mold that occurs during the curing process. Afterwards, the ham must be soaked in several changes of fresh cold water for up to 30 hours to extract the salt, otherwise the ham will be unpalatable. Hence, the ham can be cooked, boiled or fried for consumption. Some producers package country ham ready for consumption, for consumers who do not wish to undergo this preparation process.
Even after soaking, a country ham tends to be very salty. This strong salty taste is unappealing to some consumers, who prefer slightly saltier city hams or fresh pork. Usually, this meat is used as an accent in a dish, rather than served as a main course, as the salty flavor can become overwhelming. It goes well with pasta sauces, salads, fruit and a variety of other foods.
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