In the Old South almost everyone raised his own hogs. On the coldest day in the fall the hogs would be slaughtered. The meat would be hickory smoked, sugared, or salt-cured. The coffee for the redeye gravy would have been made from the beans that were hand-ground fresh each morning. One explanation of how the gravy got its name is that black coffee and ham drippings never totally mix, and if you pour the coffee into the ham drippings nice and easy, it will spread out in the hot fat and resemble a very bloodshot eye. Ham and redeye gravy is wonderful with fresh biscuits and grits.
2 cups hot strong-brewed coffee
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 center-cut country ham slices (¼-pound each)
In a bowl stir the coffee and sugar together. In a large cast-iron skillet on medium heat fry the ham slices until they are brown on both sides. Remove the ham to a platter, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Add the coffee mixture to the hot drippings. Stir to loosen the particles from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to boil, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by about half. Pour the redeye gravy over the ham to serve.
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS