Y'all know what country ham is? Or side meat? Unfortunately, I do. And even more unfortunately I find it delicious.
One of my most pleasant memories of my grandparents' house is waking up to a good old Southern breakfast. Daddy Doug (my grandfather) would wake us up just in time to grab biscuits (made
with lard) hot out of the oven. He'd have been up cooking up some country ham, eggs, biscuits, red-eye gravy and oatmeal (that he would later douse with sugar, cream and butter). Talk about a feast!
We'd have a difficult choice to make. You see biscuits could hold some ham, be covered in molasses or homemade jam OR be drizzled with red-eye gravy. And because I'd bet many of you don't know what this is much less how you'd make it, I'm here to oblige.
After you fry up your country ham, pour off the grease from the pan (my uncle keeps this fat to season other cooking). You should have little bits and pieces of ham "drippings" left in your pan. Pour in some water - enough to completely cover the surface with extra depth left over. Put the pan back on the heat and stir the mixture until it comes to a boil. Allow it to simmer until the water turns the color of the drippings. You then pour it into a dish or serve over biscuits.
I know, I know: heart attack on a stick. But oh so good!
P.S. Daddy Doug lived to be 87 years old and his wife lived to 90!
Since we're talking Southern food lately, I thought I'd give y'all a tip on making grits. The key to making good grits is to use milk instead of water. Mama still uses instant grits, but she makes them with milk to make them creamier!
Just use the portions listed on the side of the box substituting milk for water and stirring constantly as the milk heats (so it doesn't stick or scorch). Pour in your grits and stir until they're done (again, check the box for how long it should take). Put in a pat of butter and you've got some kind of delicious!
