Man I love good ham. OK, I love bad ham, too. But “country cured” – a dry cure lengthy process with salt, hickory smoked, that’ll get me everytime. I’ve driven back roads of Missouri, Virginia, the Carolinas and Kentucky in search of small processors.
I’d never heard of Harper’s, even tho they’ve been around since 1952, and I might not have ever heard of them as they suffered a devastating fire last year and had to look around for a frenemy to cure their pork for them. Which they found in “Goodnight Brothers” of Boone, NC.
I ran into these hams at BOOMLAND! a retail oddity on I-57 (and two other locations) in Missouri. Giant fireworks stores, knick-knacks, regional foods, ice cream parlor, and discount tobacconist. I prefer the boneless biscuit size slice packages (which are only biscuit sized if your biscuits are the size of a small frisbee). I bought all they had. It was a BOGO thing. It freezes fine.
Country cured ham can be very salty. Many people give it a simmer in water prior to frying, baking, whatever. I’ve also known people who soak it in cold water overnight, or in the case of a whole ham, for several days.
I do or don’t, cause I love the flavor. I eat it on its own as a snack, on sandwiches, but especially for breakfast.
Happy I found the product. Sad I won’t run into it again for a few years. Probably. Tho Goldbely has it for shipping from time to time it seems.
Harpers was the winner of the 2013 and 2014 National Champion Country Ham. 2013 Grand Champion Ham at Kentucky State Fair.
Harpers Country Ham Review
Harpers Country Ham Review