Southern Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy

Why you’ll love it

• Ready in 25 minutes: one skillet, a few slices of ham and a cup of coffee.
• Big Southern flavor: salty, savory ham with a rich coffee gravy.
• High protein: about 34 g of protein per serving to keep you full all morning.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the country ham

• 4 center-cut slices country ham, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick (about 1 1/4 lb / 570 g total)
• 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter or bacon drippings, if the ham is lean

For the red-eye gravy

• 3/4 cup (180 ml) hot, strong brewed black coffee
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
• 1 tsp light brown sugar (optional)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For serving

• Warm buttermilk biscuits or creamy grits
• 4 fried eggs (optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Soak the ham (optional). Dry-cured country ham can be very salty. For a milder flavor, soak the slices in cold water for 30 minutes, then pat them dry with paper towels.

2. Trim the slices. Cut off any hard rind. With kitchen scissors, snip through the fat around the edge every inch (2.5 cm) so the slices do not curl in the pan.

3. Heat the skillet. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. If the ham has very little fat, add the butter or bacon drippings and let it melt.

4. Fry the ham. Add the ham slices in a single layer, in 2 batches if needed, and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned in spots, the fat is translucent and the slices are hot all the way through. Do not overcook, or the ham will turn tough and taste saltier.

5. Keep warm. Transfer the ham to a warm platter and cover it loosely with foil.

6. Make the gravy. Pour off all but about 2 tbsp of the drippings. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and pour in the coffee, water and brown sugar, if using. Scrape up all the browned bits with a wooden spatula and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced by about a third. Season with the pepper; it will not need salt.

7. Serve. Pour the hot gravy into a small pitcher or spoon it over the ham. Serve right away with split biscuits or grits for soaking up the gravy, and fried eggs on the side.

How to know it is done

The ham is ready when the edges are golden brown in spots, the fat looks translucent and slightly crisp, and the center is steaming hot (145°F / 63°C on an instant-read thermometer). The gravy is done when it has reduced by about a third, tastes rich and savory rather than like plain coffee, and shows small reddish circles of fat on the surface. It is supposed to stay thin, like a jus.

Tips for the best result

• Use strong, freshly brewed coffee; weak coffee makes a flat-tasting gravy.
• A cast iron skillet gives the best browning and the most flavorful drippings for the gravy.
• Taste the ham before serving and never add salt to the gravy; the drippings are already salty.
• Cook the ham just until hot; country ham is cured, so it only needs to brown and heat through.

Variations and substitutions

• Milder ham: use a 1 1/4 lb (570 g) fully cooked ham steak cut into 4 pieces and fry 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Richer gravy: swirl 1 tbsp cold butter into the gravy right before serving.
• Sweeter gravy: replace the water with 1/4 cup (60 ml) cola, a popular old Southern trick.
• A little heat: add a few dashes of hot sauce to the gravy.
• Ham biscuits: tuck small pieces of ham into split biscuits and serve the gravy on the side for dipping.

Make ahead

This breakfast is best made fresh, and it only takes 25 minutes. To save time in the morning, soak, dry and trim the ham the night before and keep it covered in the refrigerator, and brew the coffee ahead; reheat it until hot before making the gravy.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate the cooked ham and the gravy in separate airtight containers: the ham up to 4 days and the gravy up to 2 days. Reheat the ham in a skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side and bring the gravy to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cooked ham slices can be frozen up to 2 months; thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.