Ohio River Valley Country Ham with Redeye Gravy
Salty, dry-cured country ham pan-fried and served with a thin coffee-and-drippings gravy spooned over biscuits. A breakfast tradition along Indiana's southern river towns.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 310 kcal
Equipment
- •Cast iron skillet
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- fat
- 20
- carbs
- 4
- protein
- 24
- calories
- 310
Instructions
- 1
Warm a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat on the stovetop.
- 2
Add ham slices. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side until the edges turn brown, then take them out and keep warm.
- 3
Pour off the extra fat. Leave about 2 tablespoons of pan drippings in the skillet.
- 4
Pour the coffee and water into the hot skillet. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
- 5
Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the brown sugar if you are using it.
- 6
Put the ham back into the skillet briefly. Let it warm through in the gravy.
- 7
Serve the ham and spoon the gravy over split biscuits.
Chef's tips
Use strong black coffee to splash in the skillet and scrape up the browned bits for authentic redeye gravy. Slice the ham thin so it cooks fast without curling.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover ham up to 5 days; store gravy separately.
Reheating
Reheat ham in a skillet over medium heat; warm gravy gently in a small saucepan.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using weak coffee, which leaves the gravy with very little flavor.
- •Cooking the ham too long, which makes it dry and tough like leather.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Ohio River Valley Country Ham with Redeye Gravy?
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