Mail-Order Virginia Country Hams

[rotuts]

A minor correction on my order

 

i got this :

 

https://fatherscountryhams.com/collections/hocks-seasoning-meat/products/fathers-bacon-seasoning-6-pack-bs6

 

its " Father's Country Bacon Seasoning "

 

I mistakenly read into this that it might be 6 flavored i.e. seasoning packs

 

from this :

 

https://fatherscountryhams.com/collections/bacon/products/americas-best-country-bacon-selection-abbs

 

its not.   Im guessing its the standard hickory bacon

 

 

I actually prefer standard bacon to seasoned bacon

 

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

26 minutes ago, rotuts said:

A minor correction on my order

 

i got this :

 

https://fatherscountryhams.com/collections/hocks-seasoning-meat/products/fathers-bacon-seasoning-6-pack-bs6

 

its " Father's Country Bacon Seasoning "

 

@rotuts, have you opened up any of those bacon seasoning packs yet?  I'm wondering if it's like what I sometimes get as "ends & pieces," although some of the pieces look pretty big in your photo.

[rotuts]

I have not.

 

but Im thinking of doting so soon

 

so right now is good :

 

 

one package opened 

 

 

 

 

spread on on a plate

 

 

quick cooked  a la Micro.  its sizzling.  its hard to see but that meat w just a little fat.

 

this is very intense pork.    the amount you see above would be good flavor for at least two very large bowls of bean soup.

 

diced very finely.

 

it also fairly salty , what you see above.

 

I use as little commercial NaCL as I can. as I know what commercial salt will do to me eventually  

 

Id say this could be called ends and pieces.  forgot a ruler  sorry

 

they do have this :

 

https://fatherscountryhams.com/collections/hocks-seasoning-meat/products/fathers-bacon-end-slices-1lb-cbes

 

I have not weighed my 6 packs , but I can tell you  its way way more than 1 lbs     maybe 4 - 5

 

Im very pleased w this order

 

Im sure after tasting that bacon ends , its enough for several lifetimes for me

 

not complaining     mI glade I got 2 x 6 of the hocks.  Im glad I didn't get 2 x 6 of the bacon seasonings

 

but I plan to give a few pieces to a couple of friends who like to cook.

 

if you choose to freeze part of you order , as I will for most of it ;

 

make sure the bags are sealed tight  .  I resealed it as I have a chamber Vac.

 

and don't place the bags next to some nice young Lamb , or Veal or FancyPants vanilla ice cream

 

unless .......................

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

I re-bag'd one of the hocks.

 

I have the feeling that the hocks are intensely flavored.

 

the bacon is more so.

 

both will have a place.

 

I roast coffee , darker for drip 

 

not quite so dark for espresso.

 

{ in a real deal espresso machine ]

 

my home will then smell or better yet , have the Aroma similar, yet better [   ] then very high end coffee-house for a bit

 

I don't mind at all

 

cooking with this meat will also be aromatic.

 

keep that in mind.

 

I won't mind.

 

good thing , depending on the weather

 

the iPot is easy to use on the back deck.

 

if you have very delicate nostrils.

 

or extremely expensive clothes that you only let Henri dry clean for you specially.

 

N.B.

Edited March 3, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[kayb]

@rotuts, should you feel ambitious, I'll send you my recipe for bacon jam. I used Wright's ends and pieces to make it. There is NOTHING any better melted onto a grilled grass-fed burger, which you then top with sauteed onions and mushrooms and blue cheese.

 

I can several jars of bacon jam every year. It's also good on a biscuit, on toast under some really good cheese (think triple-creme Brie), or in a pimiento cheese sandwich.

 

It's habit forming.

[Martin Fisher]

If you're feeling especially ambitious and you're able to find good fresh hams—you can easily make your own.

I've done it many times—years ago.

 

PDF file and a video....

 

 

[TdeV]

3 hours ago, kayb said:

should you feel ambitious, I'll send you my recipe for bacon jam.

 

Yes! Please!

[kayb]

Ask and you shall be given: This is plagiarized directly from my blog.

 

• 3 pounds bacon, diced and the fat rendered, but not crisp
• 1 cup caramelized onions (about three medium onions)
• 1 cup strong black coffee
• 1/4 cup garlic confit from the fridge (or garlic cloves poached gently)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• about 1 tsp allspice
• about 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (or brown; my hand found the turbinado first)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• about 1/4 cup brandy

If I don’t have caramelized onions in the fridge, I start with that; roughly dice the onions, put them in a bit of olive oil in your big Dutch oven, and let them go. Go ahead and use the big Dutch oven, because you’re going to use that pot to add everything else to. I go ahead and add the brown sugar to help the onions along in caramelizing.

While that’s happening, brown your bacon. I work with three pounds because Wright’s, my bacon purveyor of choice, sells a three-pound package of bacon pieces and ends. Same excellent bacon taste, just the trimmings, which is fine for these purposes. Wright’s, at $8.99 a pound, is pricy for making jam, but the ends-and-pieces, at $7.99 for three pounds, is a helluva deal. There’ll be some pieces big enough you’ll want to cut them up; try not to have anything bigger than an inch cube. I render it in batches, about a pound at a time, until it’s done but not necessarily crisp. Then when the onions get caramelized, I dump the bacon in with them. (The bacon grease replenishes my supply in the crock in the cabinet; one must, after all, keep bacon grease for one’s cornbread, and seasoning peas and beans!)

I add all the other stuff at whatever point I have a second amid stirring bacon. Measures, as in most all my recipes, are approximates. If you want yours hotter, add more pepper; sweeter, add more syrup. If you don’t have Aleppo pepper, a bit of minced chipotle will do. I used about 1/4 cup more coffee because that was how much was left in my cold-brew container in the fridge, and I didn’t see the point in wasting it. And then I just let it simmer.

[Kim Shook]

59 minutes ago, kayb said:

Ask and you shall be given: This is plagiarized directly from my blog.

 

• 3 pounds bacon, diced and the fat rendered, but not crisp
• 1 cup caramelized onions (about three medium onions)
• 1 cup strong black coffee
• 1/4 cup garlic confit from the fridge (or garlic cloves poached gently)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• about 1 tsp allspice
• about 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (or brown; my hand found the turbinado first)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• about 1/4 cup brandy

If I don’t have caramelized onions in the fridge, I start with that; roughly dice the onions, put them in a bit of olive oil in your big Dutch oven, and let them go. Go ahead and use the big Dutch oven, because you’re going to use that pot to add everything else to. I go ahead and add the brown sugar to help the onions along in caramelizing.

While that’s happening, brown your bacon. I work with three pounds because Wright’s, my bacon purveyor of choice, sells a three-pound package of bacon pieces and ends. Same excellent bacon taste, just the trimmings, which is fine for these purposes. Wright’s, at $8.99 a pound, is pricy for making jam, but the ends-and-pieces, at $7.99 for three pounds, is a helluva deal. There’ll be some pieces big enough you’ll want to cut them up; try not to have anything bigger than an inch cube. I render it in batches, about a pound at a time, until it’s done but not necessarily crisp. Then when the onions get caramelized, I dump the bacon in with them. (The bacon grease replenishes my supply in the crock in the cabinet; one must, after all, keep bacon grease for one’s cornbread, and seasoning peas and beans!)

I add all the other stuff at whatever point I have a second amid stirring bacon. Measures, as in most all my recipes, are approximates. If you want yours hotter, add more pepper; sweeter, add more syrup. If you don’t have Aleppo pepper, a bit of minced chipotle will do. I used about 1/4 cup more coffee because that was how much was left in my cold-brew container in the fridge, and I didn’t see the point in wasting it. And then I just let it simmer.

I can vouch for this!!!!  I use @kayb's recipe and it is fantastic!

[rustwood]

18 hours ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

If you're feeling especially ambitious and you're able to find good fresh hams—you can easily make your own.

I've done it many times—years ago.

 

Obviously people have successfully cured hams for hundreds of years - under whatever the local conditions might be; however, given all of the things that can go wrong and the amount of time involved, it does make one appreciate the relatively modest price of quality country ham.

 

I don't doubt the statement is correct, but I wonder if the text in bold (my emphasis) has been seen by any of UKY's attorneys:

 

"Small black dots or spots have been reported on the surface after the mold has been removed. These spots are caused by a species of mold that is difficult to remove from the surface; chances are the spots are harmless."

 

 

[Martin Fisher]

Call and ask. 

[MetsFan5]

Can’t wait! Will report back! 

[MetsFan5]

So either I’m missing something or I have a poor palate. 

 

  The petite ham is... okay. A bit fatty for my taste although the fat has a melty mouthfeel the amount of fat still turns me off. And yes it is salty. Not offensively so but I’m the type who will pop Himalayaian salt crystals into my mouth as a snack. 

 

  So, ok didn’t meet me expectations. But what do I DO with it? It’s not exactly sandwich meat. It’s hardly an Easter ham. And it’s just my husband and I. 

 

Southern cooking is foreign to me but I did pick up a sack of grits in Charleston. Maybe I can combine the two? I’m baking challenged so biscuits and ham just aren’t really going to happen (and even if I used the brand in the tube, it’s too much biscuit and not enough ham being used). 

 

  I’ve yet to try the bacon.  

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@MetsFan5, if you don't want to make your own biscuits, buy some frozen ones at your local grocery. Or buy some from a restaurant around you. Salty country ham really comes into its own on a creamy, flaky biscuit. It's a thing that was designed to go a long way to get through a long winter, originally. You can also attempt to wash/rinse the salt out of it, but you will also rinse a lot of the other flavors going on there out too. Perhaps country ham really isn't for you, but if you use it like it was intended, it will serve very well. It started out as poor folk farmer's food, so maybe not for you. It's for me for sure!

[rotuts]

@MetsFan5

 

consider slicing the ham you might want for a sandwich.

 

Im assuming your PH has already been cooked.

 

soak it for a bit in ice water , yes ice water.  depending on the thickness of the cuts , just a few minutes to a little longer

 

pat dry and make your sandwich.

 

you will have less salt and then can think just of the flavor of the country ham.

 

CH is like beer :  an acquired taste.

 

good luck

[lindag]

5 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

So either I’m missing something or I have a poor palate. 

 

  The petite ham is... okay. A bit fatty for my taste although the fat has a melty mouthfeel the amount of fat still turns me off. And yes it is salty. Not offensively so but I’m the type who will pop Himalayaian salt crystals into my mouth as a snack. 

 

  So, ok didn’t meet me expectations. But what do I DO with it? It’s not exactly sandwich meat. It’s hardly an Easter ham. And it’s just my husband and I. 

 

Southern cooking is foreign to me but I did pick up a sack of grits in Charleston. Maybe I can combine the two? I’m baking challenged so biscuits and ham just aren’t really going to happen (and even if I used the brand in the tube, it’s too much biscuit and not enough ham being used). 

 

  I’ve yet to try the bacon.  

Thanks for posting back about your experience with the Edward's;  I had considered ordering one for myself but now I'm glad I didn't.  

$56 is a lot for so-so quality.  I can get pretty darned good ham around here for a lot less.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kim Shook]

5 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

So either I’m missing something or I have a poor palate. 

 

  The petite ham is... okay. A bit fatty for my taste although the fat has a melty mouthfeel the amount of fat still turns me off. And yes it is salty. Not offensively so but I’m the type who will pop Himalayaian salt crystals into my mouth as a snack. 

 

  So, ok didn’t meet me expectations. But what do I DO with it? It’s not exactly sandwich meat. It’s hardly an Easter ham. And it’s just my husband and I. 

 

Southern cooking is foreign to me but I did pick up a sack of grits in Charleston. Maybe I can combine the two? I’m baking challenged so biscuits and ham just aren’t really going to happen (and even if I used the brand in the tube, it’s too much biscuit and not enough ham being used). 

 

  I’ve yet to try the bacon.  

It is possible you got a dud.  This is what a slice of the petite should look like:

Not overly fatty.  If you think you got a dud, call Edwards - they have great customer service.  That price is killer though.  We saw the petite hams yesterday at the grocery store for about $27 - half of what a mail order costs.  

 

As far as what to do with the ham - pretty much anything you can do with sliced deli ham, you can do with the Edwards - just slice it paper thin.  And I don't find that it needs soaking like some country hams.  Slip slivers into Shrimp & Grits.  This is a wonderful small plate that uses crab, country ham, corn and butter beans.  And remember that the ham is completely freezable.  Cut it into y'all-sized chunks and freeze them wrapped separately.  A little goes a long way.  We eat country ham as a snack around our house and even the petite was too big not to freeze!

[kayb]

Use it when you cook a pot of beans. Pulse a couple of chunks, along with some regular ham, in the food processor into a rough grind, mix with a little mayo, some Dijon mustard, and some grated cheese for a great deviled ham sandwich spread. Or add chopped boiled eggs to the mix for a deviled ham and egg salad. Cook some of those grits, stir in chopped up ham and plenty of cheese and hot sauce; to really take it over the top, put the grits in a loaf pan, let them set up, then slice and fry for grit cakes. Make ham croquettes (again, better in my book if you combine with a "city ham," or "packing house ham" (regular cured ham).

 

Venture out into another Southern classic pimiento cheese (grated sharp cheddar, grated Velveeta, mayo, a splash of vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar, a sprinkle of Lawry's seasoned salt, a drained jar of diced pimiento peppers, all stirred up) on a sandwich, topped with paper-thin slices of ham. Or serve it as an appetizer on crackers with the ham.

 

And my personal favorite -- Slice thinly, but don't shave; sear briefly on each side, just to get a little caramelization, and serve with an over easy egg.

 

John T. Edge of Southern Foodways Alliance referred to country ham as "the South's proscuitto." Treat it lilke proscuitto; you don't eat big chunks or slabs of that, either. But do anything with country ham you would do with proscuitto, up to and including putting it with fruit or on a pizza. It's a strong flavor, and needs to be respected.

 

[rotuts]

@MetsFan5

 

Im with   @Kim Shook

 

on this.  if your ham does not look like her's

 

Id call them an politely explain the problem based on KS's info.

 

hope you like the bacon.

[MetsFan5]

4 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

It is possible you got a dud.  This is what a slice of the petite should look like:

Not overly fatty.  If you think you got a dud, call Edwards - they have great customer service.  That price is killer though.  We saw the petite hams yesterday at the grocery store for about $27 - half of what a mail order costs.  

 

As far as what to do with the ham - pretty much anything you can do with sliced deli ham, you can do with the Edwards - just slice it paper thin.  And I don't find that it needs soaking like some country hams.  Slip slivers into Shrimp & Grits.  This is a wonderful small plate that uses crab, country ham, corn and butter beans.  And remember that the ham is completely freezable.  Cut it into y'all-sized chunks and freeze them wrapped separately.  A little goes a long way.  We eat country ham as a snack around our house and even the petite was too big not to freeze!

 

 

My ham does NOT look at all like that. It looks more like prosciutto. Is that something to legitimately complain about? 

Edited April 5, 2018 by MetsFan5 (log)

[MetsFan5]

3 hours ago, kayb said:

Use it when you cook a pot of beans. Pulse a couple of chunks, along with some regular ham, in the food processor into a rough grind, mix with a little mayo, some Dijon mustard, and some grated cheese for a great deviled ham sandwich spread. Or add chopped boiled eggs to the mix for a deviled ham and egg salad. Cook some of those grits, stir in chopped up ham and plenty of cheese and hot sauce; to really take it over the top, put the grits in a loaf pan, let them set up, then slice and fry for grit cakes. Make ham croquettes (again, better in my book if you combine with a "city ham," or "packing house ham" (regular cured ham).

 

Venture out into another Southern classic pimiento cheese (grated sharp cheddar, grated Velveeta, mayo, a splash of vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar, a sprinkle of Lawry's seasoned salt, a drained jar of diced pimiento peppers, all stirred up) on a sandwich, topped with paper-thin slices of ham. Or serve it as an appetizer on crackers with the ham.

 

And my personal favorite -- Slice thinly, but don't shave; sear briefly on each side, just to get a little caramelization, and serve with an over easy egg.

 

John T. Edge of Southern Foodways Alliance referred to country ham as "the South's proscuitto." Treat it lilke proscuitto; you don't eat big chunks or slabs of that, either. But do anything with country ham you would do with proscuitto, up to and including putting it with fruit or on a pizza. It's a strong flavor, and needs to be respected.

 

 

 

 The flavor isn’t strong at all to me. It’s very mellow. Like, Boars Head maple ham cold cuts have more flavor. 

 

  I also loathe beans unfortunately. And hard boiled eggs. 

 

 The pimento cheese idea is calling to me! 

Edited April 5, 2018 by MetsFan5 (log)

[rotuts]

would you be willing to post a few pics of your ham ?

 

Im very curious to see the difference.

 

you got this one ?

 

https://www.edwardsvaham.com/product/petite-country-ham/country-hams

 

no matter what , Im sure Edwards will make it right 

[MetsFan5]

22 minutes ago, rotuts said:

would you be willing to post a few pics of your ham ?

 

Im very curious to see the difference.

 

you got this one ?

 

https://www.edwardsvaham.com/product/petite-country-ham/country-hams

 

no matter what , Im sure Edwards will make it right 

 

 

Yes. That’s the one. I’ll get it out but the pictures will be on a paper plate since I’m not eating it at this moment so apologies in advance! 

[MetsFan5]

30 minutes ago, rotuts said:

would you be willing to post a few pics of your ham ?

 

Im very curious to see the difference.

 

you got this one ?

 

https://www.edwardsvaham.com/product/petite-country-ham/country-hams

 

no matter what , Im sure Edwards will make it right 

 

 

Yes. That’s the one. I’ll get it out but the pictures will be on a paper plate since I’m not eating it at this moment so apologies in advance! 

 

  I lied the cutting board was closer. 

 

Heres my ham:

 

[rotuts]

well , that very much looks like a country ham

 

this is their web pic :

 

 

that looks like a ' ham '

 

are you sure your was cooked ?

 

I think their may be lots for you to do w the E's ham

 

but if you can't decide in a few days

 

call them an suggest with them other options

 

the ham you have to me does look like 

 

prosciutto

 

that's an uncooked ham , of delicious proportions

 

the ham on their web site looks like a cooked ham

 

Im sure if you talk to E's they will make it right.

 

and BTW  

 

congratulations for trying this stuff 

 

when it suits one , its the best , on its own rules.

 

Ive got some Benton's bacon Huffing and Puffing in my

 

iPot just now , making Turkey Ragu !

 

to die for in the end.