Does VA country ham = prosciutto??

The Washington Post has an interesting article about new efforts among VA country ham makers to market their hams as alternatives to European dry-cured hams.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

Geo

I don't know if I would be willing to say that it is exactly equivalent to prosciutto, but I have eatin it like that and it's very good. I admit, I got the idea from Jaques Pepin, who decribes in his autobiography how mortified he was that Americans boil good Virginia ham. Heate it like prosciutto, so I tried it. It is maybe a little softer than serrano or prosciutto.

Yes, I think that's right--'softer' is a good description. A few yrs ago, when I was living in KY, I bought a new brand of country ham, and tried it 'raw.' It was really tasty. Called the proprietor, who happened to be a Ph.D. biochemist. "Would you eat it that way?" I asked him. "Of course, and I do--but I'm not allowed to *recommend* that way to eat it, USDA won't let me" he said.

But the funny thing that happens is that when you cook his ham, or anyone else's, it immediately gets much more noticeably salty. I don't understand why...

Geo

But the funny thing that happens is that when you cook his ham, or anyone else's, it immediately gets much more noticeably salty. I don't understand why...

To bring out the full flavor in anything, you need alcohol, water and fat. It may be the dried product being absent of water, or at least water in very low levels, keeps the saltiness taste to a minimum. Once the water level increases, then then salts dissolve in the water and their presence becomes more noticeable.

Regards,

Interesting, but not that new.

Several chefs and food folks in CA bent on finding a US version of everything European have been doing this for quite some time. Indeed, the reason I tracked down a non-smoked Felt's country ham last summer (in Charlottesville, at Reid's, a local institution and grocery store), is because a wine guy in Napa swore by it as a great 2 bucks per pound alternative to prosciutto.

I ate a decent portion of the ham raw, in the stylle of prosciutto (or speck or serrano, etc.) and thought it was fantastic. It was more "rustic" than a prosciutto di Parma, and much better, to my taste, than the Canadian or US product that aims to mimic it. Mostly, the country ham tasted of must and basements and attics in a way that very much complemented things like Amarone di Valpolicella and Rioja. Possibly, this was related to the thick bloom of mold that I had to scrub off the ham after several months in my basement.

Someone here mentioned that they have never had country ham that reminded them of the classic Europeans. I wonder whether the poster ever tried it raw and thinly sliced. Cooking the ham changes it in every conceivable way, taste, texture, smell, saltiness, toughness, etc.

PS, I never got sick from eating my moldy uncooked ham, but I made sure always to drink something with it.

Alternatively, you can buy del prosciutto americano, if you want some.

JeffB wrote:Someone here mentioned that they have never had country ham that reminded them of the classic Europeans. I wonder whether the poster ever tried it raw and thinly sliced.

Jeff,

The 10-year aged country ham cured by Dan Gill I had the pleasure of trying at Kit's house last year was eaten raw and sliced thin, the flavor was intense, wonderful and beyond my ability to adequately describe.

Heart of the Ham aka Virginia prosciutto 10-year age


Enjoy,
Gary

OH MAAANNN, does that look good! But now, G Wiv, where can I get me some of that???

Nice site, tnx for the link. My brother lives in Winchester VA, maybe he can find some, or go visit Mr. Gill.

Geo

PS. Oysters and crabs look like fun, too; also looks like he hasn't updated those pages in a bit--must be too busy smoking things.

Geo wrote:Nice site, tnx for the link. My brother lives in Winchester VA, maybe he can find some, or go visit Mr. Gill.

Geo,

Dan has a Country Store and Deli in Pinetree VA. Never been, in fact not even sure where Pinetree VA is, but Dan makes everything from scratch, including bread, BBQ and roasting his own coffee beans, I'm betting it's all wonderful.

I doubt he'll have 10-year hams, but he sells (I think, call first) younger hams he cures himself.

Enjoy,
Gary
http://www.velvitoil.com/roastery.htm

I get a yearly fix of Kite's ham from a relative...arguably the best in the state of Virginia.

Kite's Hams, Inc.
Jim Kite
P.O. Box 8
Wolftown, VA 22748
540/948-4742,
FAX: 540/948-3263

If you want to read more about "Redneck Prosciutto", check out this story:

http://www.virginiawineguide.com/foodAndWine23/