Country Ham

I grew up in Texas with frequent trips "home" to North Carolina where all the rest of my mom's family lived. This gave me a strong sense of being Southern. What I have learned living in California is that there are several things Californians do not understand:

Grits

Hush Puppies

Country fried steak (being different than chicken fried steak)

and Country Ham!

Now this may look like your regular ham, but it isn't. There is something in the sugar/salty curing that makes it very different. I have had it so salty it would make your lips shrivel up. This that we brought home from our trip east last week is not that salty. Just perfect I would say. 

Of course country ham isn't absolutely perfect without eggs and grits.

I took a picture of my plate (no grits) and Dean always prepares his own grits on Sunday morning.

What California does understand is orange juice! Fresh oranges from Costco, squeezed within minutes of drinking, added sweet delight to country ham and eggs (and grits). Nice to bring a little Southern home with us!