Fried Country Ham

Ingredients

• 4 slices country ham, about 1/4 inch thick (about 1 lb total)
• 2 cups whole milk or water, for soaking
• 1 tbsp bacon drippings or lard

Before you cook

• Lay the ham slices in a shallow dish and pour the milk over them.
• Soak for 20 minutes at room temperature to draw out some of the salt.
• Lift the slices out, discard the milk and pat both sides completely dry with paper towels.
• Cut two or three small slits through the fat rim of each slice so the ham does not buckle in the pan.

Steps

1. Melt the bacon drippings in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke.
2. Lay in the ham slices in a single layer, working in two batches if they will not fit flat.
3. Fry for 3 minutes without moving them, until the undersides are browned in patches and the fat rim has turned glassy.
4. Turn the slices with tongs.
5. Fry 2 to 3 minutes more; country ham is already cured and cooked through, so pull it before it tightens and turns leathery.
6. Move the ham to a warm platter.
7. Leave the browned bits and drippings in the skillet if you plan to make red-eye gravy.
8. Serve immediately, cut against the grain into bite-sized pieces.