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I’m reading an article about a family ham company in KY. They are famous for their aged country hams. Included are instructions on how to remove the mold from the outside of the ham. I am thinking this doesn’t sound at all appetizing....eating 3 year old meat after washing the mold off. Apparently, many people buy them, though.
Prosciutto is made in a similar manner and I'd eat as much of that as I could get without complaint. But your question makes me realize that no, I have never had a country ham. I see them here, but haven't a clue what to do with them.
It might be better to try country ham at a restaurant to see whether you like it. It is more intensely flavored than hams cured by other methods (such as the regular hams you can get at the supermarket), and it is very salty. It should be sliced very thinly and served and eaten in small portions. Small amounts can also be used to flavor other dishes (greens, etc.). Country ham should definitely not be served in large, thick slices as the flavor and saltiness would be overwhelming.
Some supermarkets sell small vacuum-sealed packages of country ham slices. If you could find something like that, you could try it to see whether you liked it before purchasing a whole ham, which can be expensive.
The curing process produces the mold on the outside. It is method used for centuries to preserve pork and if done properly, the hams are perfectly safe to eat. As with anything else, purchasing from a reputable purveyor is your best safety measure.
most ladies wont buy meat with too much fat..let alone some mold
thanks for the post....ive had some locally smoked hams.....and you are correct the flavors are intense.....and different degrees of smokiness too.. they do cure longer.. salted meats got many a mainers thru the winter in the past
This summer while I was in West Virginia I ran across a country ham at the supermarket. I had never tried it so of course I bought it.
I did a ton of research to get it right. I figured we love both prosciutto and jamon. Lots of people out there compared it to them. NO! It was not even close. I am sorry to say we just did not like it. In my husband's words it tastes a lot like week old road kill!
If you like it, which I know tons of people do, more power to you. I love strong tasting food but (shudder) it is over the top!
We used to live in the Pacific Northwest aka not the land of country ham. We have a lot of family that live in the South and at one of our family events located in our Northwest quadrant of the country, an uncle from Tennessee served up country ham he tucked into the trunk of his car as he drove across the country to see us. I had never had it and my siblings and I were so excited to try it, but wow, it was inedible.
We have since moved to the deep South and I have had it several times ranging from terrible to good. I like ham, but I am a little bit wary of country ham when I see it.
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Country ham, yes or no?
