A WORD OF WARNING TO ANYONE WHO HAS NEVER ENJOYED THIS SCRUMPTIOUS DELICACY,
"VIRGINIA" or "SMITHFIELD HAM": IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THIS MEAT BE SLICED
PAPER THIN.
IT ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE EATEN IF IT IS CUT IN THICK SLICES LIKE ORDINARY
HAM.
ONCE IT HAS BEEN SLICED VERY THINLY, JUST PUT A SINGLE SLICE OR TWO OF THE
HAM ON A POACHED EGG OR A CRAB CAKE OR EVEN BETTER, A BISCUIT WITH SOME
SWEET & SOUR MUSTARD AND VOILA! A TRUE SOUTHERN EPICUREAN DELIGHT.
MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS FROM ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, USED TO SAY THAT THE ONLY
REASON ANYONE COULD POSSIBLY DISLIKE SMITHFIELD HAM WOULD BE BECAUSE THEY
HAD CUT IT TOO THICKLY AND RENDERED IT INEDIBLE. EVEN THOUGH THE HAM IS VERY
SALTY IT ALSO HAS A SUBTLE FLAVOR THAT IS LOST IF THE MEAT IS CUT IN CHUNKS
OR THICK SLICES.
REMEMBER: PAPER THIN.
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Brothers" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2005 9:09 PM
Subject: Re: NY Times 03/23/05
> Having tried a number of Virginia hams, Edwards is by far the best.
> On Mar 26, 2005, at 3:21 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> > <<Not belonging to that tribe of the California-born who want to
> > become
> > beautiful corpses, and born and raised to South-rooted parents who
> > cooked with
> > bacon grease and lard, I raise my cup to the wonders of southern
> > cooking and
> > its Virginia roots. Long may this distinctive tradition be
> > preserved.>>
> >
> > Harold,
> > You have now reached a peak level of acclaim in my mind! :)
> >
> > Being a "Virginian-in-exile" as I like to call myself, and raised on a
> > hog
> > farm (with three smokehouses!) in Sussex County, Virginia in the
> > 1960s, I feel
> > I have the background sufficient to correct the geographical
> > description
> > just slightly... Smithfield lies in Isle of Wight County, not Surry
> > County.
> > Having said that, some friends of mine in Surry do have one of the
> > best country
> > ham businesses out there... Edwards Hams
> > (_http://www.virginiatraditions.com_
> > (http://www.virginiatraditions.com) ) a family-owned smoked meat
> > business,
> > is located in Surry, Virginia (please note, I hold no financial
> > interest nor
> > have any family relationship to the Edwards family!).
> >
> > My sweet wife, who was actually raised in L.A., has also come to
> > appreciate
> > the fine qualities of a Virginia ham... a neccessary fare for most
> > holiday
> > dinner table settings in our home.
> >
> > Three cheers for posting such a great piece of information to the
> > list!
> > Fairfield Bain
> > P.S. After 47 years of consuming ham, my blood pressure remains
> > 110/70.
> >
> >
> > Fairfield T. Bain, DVM
> > Chief - Internal Medicine & Critical Care
> > Hagyard Equine Medical Institute
> > Lexington, Kentucky
> >
> > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > instructions
> > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
> >
>
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