Cutting into a Traditionally Cured Country Ham
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ม.ค. 2024
- Our family makes traditionally sugar cured country ham using a 200 year old secret family recipe. The ham in todays video is exactly 1 year old! While we can't share that recipe on TH-cam feel free to contact us with any questions about making your own country ham. The flavor is like nothing you have ever tried from the store, it is absolutely delicious!
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#countryham #saltcured #oldfashioned
As a chinese american person, growing up american country hams were super prized. They're the closest cured ham to a traditional chinese ham, which is really hard to get in the US. Both ham types are cured using natural molds instead of sodium nitrates which gives it that amazing flavor. My parents knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy who was still making and selling traditional cured country hams and my mom would always buy a giant one and then use it in the most amazing soups and stews.
thats pretty cool im going to look into Chinese cured hams never heard of that
I’d love to have her recipes!!
Yeah I think I'd rather die than eat rotted meat.
@@SwansonDoggz you need to get a better grasp on the difference between something that has been cured, and something that has become rotten. two very different things.
I met my wife out in Arizona in 74' when we were both 15 years old.
She is gone now, God bless her soul.
Her family was from Winchester Virginia, her grand parents raised hogs there. One day she came to my parent''s house all excited, her Nana & Pop Pop were flying in to visit.
When they came they brought the biggest suitcase I ever saw stuffed full of country ham. Nana wasn't in town for an hour before they had me sit down at the kitchen counter to eat ham and fresh made country biscuits at 3 in the afternoon - 50 years ago.
I will never forget it. I come from a family of cooks, my grandparents owned a restaurant in St. Louis for 30 years. Best ham ever.
I bought a SERRANO ham last year at Christmas and ate it for a month.
But Nana and Pop Pop's ham was the all time best.
I love it! thats an awesome story and ham is something people around these parts have always been proud of
Wow I’m from Winchester Va and yes we do our own meat as much as we can I get it from my cousin and it’s the best since my uncle made it when I was little
this is what America is losing day by day, our real culture
Small world. I’m from Winchester Va. She may have known some of my mom’s family. My mom was born in 56. She went to Handley. There’s only one high school.
Cool story, I was 10 in '74 and visited grandparents in Arizona every year. Great memories of playing in a dirt lot where trucks would dump dirt in piles and we would play cops and robbers or ride our bikes there.
I from east Tennessee deep in the mountains. We always did hams this way.i remember going out in dead of winter and cutting slices off for breakfast. And that was in the 60s and 70s.
yes thats how it used to be done instead of slicing it all at once
Yeah I did the same thing that was the goods days and times now every body wants to go to the store
Sadly this traditional wisdom seems to be getting lost as our increasingly consumer-focused society moves further and further away from the self-reliant way of life that should be our most treasured legacy.
@@TrueGritAppalachianWays man that fat will make some good redeye gravey!
My first job was as a busboy in a small mom and pop restaurant in the Smokies. You would recognize the town. Mr. Ogle would buy several of country hams from ‘the ham man’ from over in Cosby, every spring and hang them in the basement, slicing them as needed. They were delicious. Quite expensive but worth it. I now order from Benton’s.
Lots of families when I was a kid used to cure hams every fall. They were so very good. Our recipe wasn’t a secret 😊 It was 2 cups salt (non iodine) 1 cup brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon red/cayenne pepper. Makes enough for 1 ham. I grew up a West Virginia girl ❤️
thats similar to ours but our recipe depends on the weight of the ham and, back in the day around here everyone held it near and dear and wouldn't tell a sole, then when it come time to slice everyone would compare and see whos was best
Thank you for sharing to your fellow humans.
You were born a poor coal miners daughters
Why the non-iodine, does it mess it up or something?
@@TrueGritAppalachianWays I think I.m moving to WV
Im almost 60 now, but I retain a vague memory as a child visiting my great aunt and uncles' farm in the country (rural N FL) and going inside their wooden smokehouse with hanging meat and smoke. Added bonus memory: every time we visited my great aunt made hand churned ice cream. We youngsters played outside until dark and watched fireflies. Oh what simple, morally clean and fun times with nary an electronic device to babysit us.
The culinary history of our people and this country never cease to amaze me.
regional/local cuisines and food culture are always so fascinating to me i love studying them
One year old is good, but a two year old ham is really next level.
Ive been a butcher for 36 yrs and have stood in front a meat saw for as long as I can remember. Beautiful ham and when we get them they are EXTREMELY expensive
They use to be very cheap
When my grandpa made sausage the first came from the grinder was cooked immediately. The fire was already hot. When he sliced a ham, same thing. I do the same thing. Some of the best food ever. I’m old now but we still do a hog every year. My son will keep it going.
I miss living in the south country ham is fire 🔥
Oh I know how good it is when it’s hung up in a barn or smoke house that’s what my granddaddy called it a smoke house and I can remember him saying he would go out and check on it but the only thing is I can’t eat the ham anymore because it runs my blood pressure up. My grandparents lived in Webster county in Mississippi and back when I was a little kid the place where they lived was considered out in the sticks lol 😂 but I loved going out there and staying with them for a week or sometimes two weeks in the summer and I can remember my granddaddy milking his cows and bringing the milk to his house and I would get a cup of that milk. I’m sorry for rambling on but that was the best time of my life staying with my grandparents plus I was a granddaddy’s girl I was crazy about him and I am sure you can understand I like watching your videos because it brings back some really good memories of my granddaddy anyway I hope you have a great day and keep making your videos I really enjoy them
Im so glad we can bring back those memories, and yes both of us understand all about them grandpas!
That's really sweet, I'm sorry you had to lose your grandparents and thank you for sharing.
I live in Bristol VA and watching your videos brings me so much joy. I see hope for America. I see keepers of the best way. I see my own childhood. Thank you so very much and may the LORD allow your beautiful videos to reach millions and may you prosper without losing any of your beautiful hearts.
thank you so much
I’m just up the interstate from you. Chilhowie.
Amen.
That's some fine looking ham.
Every culture has their own secret family recipe for something edible.
My family is of Polish descent and sausage recipes are the same way as your country ham cure recipe.
Thanks for sharing your curing and preserving process for country ham. I’m sure if things keep getting worse with the economy and politics people will be turning back to the old ways of surviving like salting and preserving meat.
I totally agree!
Amen!
This is what people should be doing and teaching the next generation cause you never know when shit will hit the fan.
My father-in-law used to butcher hogs every year until he could no longer do it. Naturally he cured the hams, shoulders, and jowls. Being a city gal, I didn't like the taste...at first. But when we were first married and in need, he gave us ham and potatoes so we would have something to eat. I found that fried potatoes and that country cured ham suited me quite well. I have not tasted anything to compare to dad's ham since.
I wish we were able to get you a piece! theres nothing like it, thank you
Aussie here, we solved our rat problems with wire mesh cages. We do hams with a mix of saltpetre, salt and sugar. Cure and dry then smoke well. Then wrap well and store in a box of either bran or wood ashes for at least six months. BTW I love your accent!
thank you
Country ham was always a staple of thanksgiving and Christmas.
it's been over 60 years since I've seen or tasted a country cured ham, the ham looks good.
That’s SWEET y’all got your own butcher shop!!!💪🇺🇸🦅💯!
This brings me back a lotta years! Daddy in the cellar at the slicer and Momma making Christmas candles in the kitchen with the house smelling so amazing! Thanks for bringing back that wonderful memory. Lord love you and keep you close in the new year!
What a great thing to see; people raising and preparing their own food as a family.
Many many years ago my uncle had a smokehouse in his backyard on the farm . The hams rested in troughs of salt until they were ready to smoke.. we always had hams hang in the basement ready for Christmas and Easter. So so good!
Beautiful. God bless you guys.
My daddy (borned in 1925) grew up on country ham, and the "city" kids that had white bread and sweet ham for lunch would trade it for daddy's country ham and cat head biscuit! I can eat salt cured country ham about once a year just too salty. Thanks for sharing! Stay safe, and God bless
Love country ham..redeye gravy..biscuits eggs...mighty good. I live in middle tn buy whole ham from Rices in Mt Juliet Tn...for last 50 yrs..they been there bout 80 yrs if not longer..father..son..now grand daughter running..fews places now but some ypung folks picking up from families. Rices sells hundreds a year..hang like yall a year etc..got me hungrey..might have some tomorrow. They seal pieces like you..i go through whole ham in year buy new around xmas. They ship etc..also do dmoked bacon and sausage. Enjoy watchin yall..god bless you
I'm a first-timer coming across videos. This is the first one. Thank you for the upload, sharing something decent wholesome and educational. Just subscribed
Beautiful. I am 68 and recall y daddy done this. I will try.
Im from the north. About 25 years ago in North Carolina i had the dry cured ham like yours in a couple of places. Great ham. You can't get it here. Keep on making it the way you do.
Glad I found y'all. Bringing back fun memories of all the neighbors coming on hog killing day. Fun times are something we should never forget and always try to make others memories. Thank y'all again.
thank you!
Fantabulous !!! That's a great video for sure. Done right, wrapped tight and oh so good to eat. Haven't seen a ham like that in over 70 years. Can't get meat like that in a butchershop anymore. Thanks for sharing this one with us, folks don't know what they are missing do they? Stay safe and keep having fun. Fred.
absolutely not! you cant beat a ham like this
I'm glad to see the tradition continue. Me and my family love cured country ham. Thanks for the video
My brother in-law had one that looked like that I told him it was fine just needed cleaning up.he looked at me like I was crazy he threw it away.cant wait to show this to him.😂 I love country ham red eyed gravy,grits and biscuits.i could eat it fried till I had a stroke 😂😂I love it that much.my grandpa when I was a kid would cook that very meal with sliced tomatoes right from garden my granny didn't cook alot he did it mostly pa would say minie couldn't boil water when they got married.❤
When I was young my dad put up country ham. I have such great memories. For several years I raised my own hogs but never cured one. Love y’all’s videos
And I was born and raised in hog wallow Kentucky sure do miss those country hams back then y'all keep up the good work now
I am originally from the great town of Smithfield Va., country ham capital (was) of the world. There was once a half dozen local companies that produced smoked country hams, and they were fairly affordable.
I have since moved to Michigan for work, Smithfield foods has moved to Asia, and the town of Smithfield has turned from a farming town to a boutique town, sigh. Anyway the price and availability of that delectable staple of southern eating, here in Michigan has become unattainable. I sure miss them, they are the best.
Saw you guys on with Greg when you went down to visit them. You two have a great channel. Keep keepin it old. The kids today, maybe not so much in the homestead way of life, are forgetting everything me and my sisters and brother enjoyed growing up, because they don't go to the extra trouble to keep it alive. They LOVE that cream corn me and their mom and gran ma put up out of my garden at Thanksgiving, and that Hickory Nut cake it took me HOURS to pick up, crack and pick out the nuts for. And you know what, when me and their gran ma are gone, they'll never have them again. So sad. Their loss. That's how I see it. Any way, you guys have a great way of life. Keep turnin out these videos. Those of us that don't get to live it, sure enjoy watching you do it. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful to see that some of the ole ways are still in use 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
1556: when my momma and daddy fried up country ham they added coffee to the dripping’s for a gravy and it was so good!! First time I watched you guys was today. Thoroughly enjoyed! Keep the videos coming😊
Love me some country ham! My Mom and Dad cured their hams this way....we lived in Western NC mountains.
Just caught this video. Love it. I'm retired and live in Nevada but I grew up in Indiana and had many friends in Kentucky (Glascow, Bowling Green and Lake Cumberland area). When traveling back home we'd always stop at these mom and pop general stores in log cabins. These stores always had these gunny sacks hanging from the ceiling with salt cured country hams. Of course I always bought a ham and they were great. This was back in the 60's and 70's and I still eat country hams today. I get my hams from "Burgers' Smokehouse" in California, MO. My freezer is packed with vacuum sealed country hams. Thanks for the exciting video. I'll be looking out for your videos from now on.
My family was from west Virginia. Yall alot of people had to preserve there hams and all meats. Glad to see yall preserving the tradition
thank you
If you want to keep this art alive, you should share with others. I have “secrets” too that I have shared just to keep them alive. Loved the video and that ham looks awesome!
We are happy to share with anyone willing to learn, you can email us at hello@thelawsonfarm.com we just didn’t want it out there for all of TH-cam world to have, thanks for watching!
I'm from west jy and we did it same way when I was a kid . The best hams ever good job keep up the tradition
God Bless America
As a city boy whos grandparents came from a holler in Pa, maybe i should clarify 63 yr old boy. I would love to learn the proper way of curing pork the old way. You have the knowledge that few have. Be blessed.
If you'd really like to try it shoot us an email, I'd be more than happy to teach you just dont want to put it out for thousands to know
The gourmets who cure prosciutto and capocollo have nothing on you. Great work.
I would so much love to have y'all's recipe for doing a ham this way. My mom told me her dad, my grandfather, did this when she was young. I would love to learn his ways. I never met my grandfather. He past away before I was born. He died of colon cancer. My mom always told us of her childhood memories. She always loved going to the smokehouse and cutting a peice of ham off to eat. She said that was the best thing she ever ate.
Love that you are teaching us how to do all this … It’s Amazing!!! Thank you!!!🥰❤️
We appreciate all the honest information you and your family shares. Thanks for the country ham video and passing on that knowledge. Very few people know what to do with something like that today. Heck, if it's not from the deli or out of a can and smothered in brown sugar and pineapple ham is foreign to them. Living in West Virginia country ham isn't a lost art around here yet. I do however see less and less people involved in the process. Thanks for helping to keep this alive!
yes its a sad thing for sure, hopefully future generations will start to grasp on to it
Wow, thats looks amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Glad to see you doing traditional cured hams. Sure they are delicious.
Definitely one of the best things you can eat! An acquired taste and many people don't like the taste and saltiness but I grew up eating it and love it. And now that I'm in Tennessee I have access to really good ham all the time.
Thank you for the video, y'all are keeping the old way alive, good information.
Good to see you keeping the tradition of curing country ham. It looks great.
Hey guys, love your videos. That ham looked nasty but I know how good it is. Good luck to you and yours. From the bootheel of Missouri.
Thank you both, and God bless you and family....
I am from North Carolina and what you have shown on your show , my dad and our family have done the there ham the same way. My family is gone on now and we don’t do it any more. But that’s the good old ways
Thanks for sharing! I've always heard of Country hams and City hams, it's very nice to learn how it's cured and made. Thanks!
I just stumbled across your channel and man, does this bring back memories. My grandfather used to cure hams like this every year. There's nothing like home-cured county ham.
thank you and you're absolutely right
My father and grandfather made smoke cured hams. Same technique as the regular cured ham except they used a cold smoke while the ham was curing. After about four months +/- we had the best smoke cured hams. They made hams every month so we always had a supply of hams. Picnics and hind quarters were always smoked and cured.
So cool! Really nice to see the process👏
Beautiful hams cured the right way !
That looks so good! Thank you for sharing.
That looks exceptional. Man, it must taste mind-blowing.
We like how y'all do things. Great flick.
My family is from piedmont of NC, spent summers there on the tobacco farm and watched my grandfather hang his hams in a small wood tool shed. OMG! That was the best, cracker barrel could only dream about achieving that level of goodness.
you got that right! i dont eat that fake food at cracker barrel! lol
Much love from the Shenandoah!
Inject them with a brim for about 4 weeks.. .. but l would take your beautiful ham any day of the week... it looks so beautiful...
Must love and appreciation from Australia..
God Bless you all
Fantastic looking country ham.
Good to see traditions are alive and well
My mom's side grew up in Waverly, TN. Country ham was always a staple for holidays, and sometimes Sunday meals. I was born in Nashville, but spent a lot of my childhood in Waverly. We always came back with country ham and sorgum molasses. Country ham and biscuits with pan gravy and a side of greens with fatback was always a great meal on a cold day. I remember an ex gf went with us to Waverly for a catfish fry, and was amazed that she had to pick the bones out of the fish. She asked me "what kind of country bumpkin bs is this?"
That looks delicious. Yummy!
Andy n Megan I'm a city girl from Iowa n I'm really enjoying your videos. Love seeing the hog demonstrations and curing your hams. I bet those are wonderfully flavored. I can not imagine processing a day full of hogs. I so love the farm life, but I haven't been on a big farm since I was little. I so love all the farm n vet videos. Please keep them coming. Thank you so much. ❤😊
Thanks for watching!
Looks delicious. Some good food there!
My mouth is watering man that looks good keep up good work
That ham looks absolutely delicious
Food brings people together like nothing else.
Awesome job, that ham looks delicious
Looks so,good!
Sounds so good
Looks so delicious!!! 🤗👍💯
My stepdad was from Memphis and we would go up from New Orleans to visit his family around Xmas time and Big Momma would make the same thing for breakfast, a slab of country ham eggs how you wanted and fresh biscuits with homemade fruit jam jarred from berries collected in the summer. Never had a finer breakfast since.
Your setup makes my heart go boom. You got it happening ! ❤🎉
thanks
I remember seeing my grandmother and grandfather curing their own hams and cleaning them just like in this video. Those center slices with that rosy pink meat looks delicious!
Thanks for the video. I found it interesting.
IMPRESSIVE! I've never tried that ham. I bet it's good.
It’s beautiful!
Back in the fifties, we bought out hams from olf farmer Cox. He also had an old log smokehouse with a small fireplace on each end. Mother would buy one of each. MY, but those were good hams!!! Floyd, VA.
They look good.
Looks delicious!
Omg I would LOVE to taste that once in my life
Good job bet it is really good
Aint nothin finer! My grandmas cooking was the best I ever had. They always had fresh meat, veggies, and sometimes fruits and apples.
Looks good 😊
Yum! Every time I watch you two I’m hungry!
hahaha!
I learned a lot watching your video, growing up in Michigan not far out of the city don't know of anyone doing this. Thanks for taking us thru the process, great job
They don't do this in Michigan
So cool !!!
I never made any country ham but what you two made really looks good and I sure like to eat it.
Beautiful.... I had to go eat everything and anything...God I was hungry just watching WOW nice.
Good eaten doesn’t begin to describe my love of a good ole salt cured country ham. 😋
That looks so good. It's been a long time since I've had the real thing.