How To Cook Country Ham With Coke Red Eye Gravy

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Cooked slices of country ham, a silver bowl with red eye gravy, and biscuits next to the ham.

I spotted Country Ham when shopping in a grocery store in Tennessee recently. This item is not easily found where I live in San Antonio, so I bought a couple of packages to try them out. I cooked up one in Tennessee, and then one when I got home to San Antonio. Each was accompanied with Coke Red Eye Gravy and I got to enjoy Food #63 in my 1,000 Foods To Eat Project twice!

So I'm excited to share a few ideas with you as to how to enjoy this true Southern classic for yourself.

Country Ham is a true American Southern speciality and this dish is definitely for you if you love Southern cooking!

1,000 Foods to Eat Project

I am working my way through the foods that are listed in the book 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die by Mimi Sheraton. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. Country Ham With Coca Cola Red Eye Gravy is food #63 in my project.

In this book, the author Mimi Sheraton lists her choice for the 1,000 Foods of the World that you MUST try. So if you haven't tried this dish, you'll definitely want to put it on your foodie list! If you live in the South, you may be able to pick up Country Ham at your local grocery store. If not, then you can purchase it online and I will share some great sources for this ham at the end of this post.

What Is Country Ham?

Country hams are hams that are salt cured, aged, and smoked. Salt curing is how the ham can age for many months without being refrigerated.

The high salt content of these country hams is why they are typically sliced and served on the very thin side.

The picture above shows the country ham that I bought in Tennessee. This package contained center cut slices of ham, was packaged thinly sliced, and did not require refrigeration. Please have a look at the sodium content on the nutrition label...it's certainly a very salty ham!

Smithfield Country Hams

Smithfield Hams of Virginia is mentioned in the 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die book as the most famous of American country hams. At one time, the Smithfield hogs were allowed to roam the peanut fields to forage for peanuts. It is said that this added a nutty flavor to the hams.

Smithfield Country Hams are aged, smoked, and dry cured with salt for 6-12 months.

RoadsideAmerica.com has an interesting article about the "World's Oldest Edible Ham." Of course this ham is a Smithfield Ham currently on display at the Isle of Wight Museum in Smithfield, Virginia. Apparently this ham was once considered a pet. 😂 It's super fun to read about this Smithfield country ham!

For the ultimate experience of enjoying a country ham, you can purchase a whole ham or country ham slices at Smithfield Marketplace.

What Is Red Eye Gravy?

There are many ways to prepare and enjoy Country Ham. One must try dish is Country Ham with Red Eye Gravy (or Red-Eye Gravy).

I've read several accounts about how this gravy got its name. One account involves the traditional method of making red eye gravy with black coffee. Sourced from Wikipedia: "Red-eye gravy's name comes from its distinct appearance. Prepared traditionally, with coffee and grease combined in the final step. A heterogeneous mixture forms with the water-based coffee sinking to the bottom and the oil-based grease forming the top layer. In a round bowl the mixture looks much like a red human eye. Use of red pepper enhances the redness of the appearance."

The grease referred to in the Wikipedia article refers to the drippings resulting from the cooking the ham.

This Wikipedia article also mentions the following: "Less traditional preparation techniques do not always result in the "red eye" appearance, leading to folk legends surrounding the origin of the name. For instance, one story is that former United States President Andrew Jackson requested ham with gravy as red as his cook's eyes, which were bloodshot from drinking the night before, or that the black coffee in the gravy will keep people awake."

The most traditional way of making red eye gravy is using black coffee. However, this post will discuss using coke to make red eye gravy.

So now I'll move on with some suggestions as to how to cook Country Ham With Coke Red Eye Gravy!

How To Prepare Country Ham With Coke Red Eye Gravy

I am going to share 3 ways to prepare and enjoy this dish. The first two I have personally tried. The last is on my list to try but looks fantastic!

These methods involve cooking cut center slices, and not the whole ham.

For best results try to select slices of ham with a good amount of fat on them.

I used Coke Zero, but you can use regular Coke or diet Coke it's all good!

#1 Baking The Ham With Coke

The first method I tried was when we were in Tennessee. I selected a recipe from Just A Pinch called Country Ham and Red-Eye Gravy. This recipe calls for baking the ham with coke, and then reserving the juices from the ham. The juices are combined with black coffee and sugar to make the coke red-eye gravy.

Country ham slices in a package, a bag of Imperial Sugar, a yellow coffee mug with black coffee, and a bottle of Coca Cola Zero Sugar. — Only 4 ingredients are needed for this recipe

Coke red eye gravy in a white bowl held by a person whose fingers are visible. — Only 4 ingredients are needed for this recipe

Baking the ham with the coke resulted in tender ham and the red-eye gravy was absolutely delicious! I poured the gravy over the ham and served it with mashed potatoes and a salad.

A blue rimmed plate containing country ham slices with red eye gravy poured over them served with mashed potatoes and a salad.

This meal was SUPERB! It did not seem overly salty and I've read that the coffee helps to take the edge off the saltiness.

#2 Pan Frying The Ham

I tried pan frying the ham when I returned home. This method involves frying the country ham in a cast iron or other heavy skillet and then removing the ham from the skillet. Now add coke (7.5 oz can) to the drippings left in the pan from frying the ham and simmer until reduced to make the red eye gravy.

Package of country ham and a can of coke zero in the background. — Only coke and country ham are needed for this recipe

2 slices of country ham cooking in a cast iron skillet. — Only coke and country ham are needed for this recipe

This time I collected the coke red eye gravy and served it on the side, rather than pouring it over the ham. The country ham and gravy were accompanied by some delicious Natchez Butter Biscuits, recipe from Chef Regina Charboneau, the Queen of Biscuits!

Slices of cooked country ham, silver bowl with red eye gravy, and 2 biscuits in a cast iron pan.

A nice way to enjoy this is to make a Southern Ham Biscuit. You simply split the biscuit in two, dip each half into the gravy, then place the ham between the two pieces and tuck in!

I found the salty taste of the ham was much more prominent prepared this way, and the ham not as tender as when baked in the coke. However, this is a perfectly acceptable way to prepare this dish and it was delicious!

#3 Cook The Ham In Coke On A Skillet

Finally the third method I want to share is to cook the ham in coke on a skillet. This YouTube video is from Clifty Farms, the company that makes the country ham slices that I bought in Tennessee. This doesn't address making the coke red eye gravy, but I am including it here to demonstrate another way to use coke to cook these hams.

You only need a little water, coke, and slices of center cut country ham to prepare this dish using method #3.

What To Serve With Country Ham and Coke Red Eye Gravy

Country ham and red eye gravy is traditionally served with biscuits and/or grits. I have also served this with mashed potatoes which was great with the red eye gravy!

This Dish Is Perfect For Breakfast (Or Anytime!)

This dish is traditionally eaten for breakfast and served with biscuits and/or grits as mentioned above. However, I had both servings at dinnertime so anytime is a good time for country ham and red eye gravy!

It's also particularly beloved around the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas and makes for a very special meal during those times.

Where To Buy Country Hams

Now that you know how to cook country ham with coke red eye gravy I hope you will give it a try!

Hopefully you can find country hams at your grocery store. But if not, then I want to recommend the following two retailers:

Also, be sure to visit The Loveless Cafe if you are in the Nashville area! This cafe is renowned for their scratch made Southern dishes and is a Nashville Tradition!

The Loveless Cafe sign which says cafe, Loveless Motel, air conditioned, no vacany, hot biscuits and country ham and the sign has red ribbons and wreaths wrapped around the poles.

FAQ

What is a country ham?

Country hams are hams that are salt cured, aged, and smoked. Salt curing is how the ham can age for many months without being refrigerated.

Why is it called red eye gravy?

Traditional red eye gravy is made using black coffee and the grease or drippings from cooking the ham. It is said when the coffee and grease are combined and placed in a bowl it appears to look like a red human eye.

What is in coke red eye gravy?

Coke red eye gravy substitutes for the coffee when preparing the gravy. It could also be used in addition to coffee to make the gravy.

Why use coke when cooking a country ham?

Coke adds sweetness to the ham.

Some Other Southern Foods You May Enjoy!

Here are some other Southern foods that you may enjoy:

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Cheers!

Grace