Nonnymus wrote:

> One of the big disappointments of living out here in Las Vegas is the
> lack of places selling country ham. A couple years back, I actually
> went on a quest to find some and finally did- at $20/# in a
> yuppie/gourmet meat market. Then, the small quantity I bought was
> terrible. I get catalogs from the good folks in VA, but have never been
> hungry enough for it to pay their price, either. Back in Raleigh, it
> was bubble packed and on racks in the meat section of all the stores,
> but out here the quiche eaters from California <grin> don't even know
> what it is.
>

Well put. And very true.

> I'm tempted to see if I can make a small quantity- just for the fun of
> it- out of something readily available- a butt roast. Does anyone have a
> good technique to make a country ham I could slice into chips for
> morning biscuits?
---Observation by my son

Real country ham is dry cured, and decent commercial versions go
through a drying phase for many months. Up to a year. However,
you can do good dry cured pork it in as little as 30-45 days
with a recipe like this:

http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/coppa.pdf

I always give it a cold smoke after curing. Yes, it's worth all
the effort. Good for you for wanting to try it.

--
Reg