Country ham

Country ham is a variety of heavily salted ham preserved by curing and often, but not always, by smoking, associated with the cuisine of the southern United States.

Production

Country hams are salt-cured for one to three months. Usually they are hardwood smoked, but some types of country ham, such as the "salt-and-pepper ham" of North Carolina, are not smoked. Missouri country hams traditionally incorporate brown sugar in their cure mix and are known to be milder and less salty than hams produced in eastern states including Kentucky and Virginia. After curing they are aged for several months to years, depending on the fat content of the meat.