Country Ham and Red-Eyed Gravy
By Paula Deen
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Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 optional beef bouillon cube
- 1/4 cup plus 2 cups for grits water
- 1/2 cup coffee
- 1 (3 lb) store bought (sliced) Country Ham
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup not instant quick cooking grits
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup for grits butter
Directions
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fat from the ham and render. When the fat is rendered, add the ham steaks and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove the ham from the pan and set aside on a plate and keep warm. To the pan, add the coffee and water and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the bouillon cube and stir to incorporate. Serve the gravy over the ham steaks on grits.
Grits:
In a small pot, bring 2 cups water, 1 1/4 cups milk, and salt to a boil. Slowly stir grits into boiling mixture. Stir continuously and thoroughly until grits are well mixed. Let the pot return to a boil, cover pot with a lid, lower the temperature, and cook for approximately 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary. Grits are done when they have the consistency of smooth cream of wheat. Stir in half the (1/2 cup) butter and serve with remaining butter divided equally on top of each portion..
