Country Ham with Red eye Gravy

1 pound country ham, sliced thin

2 slices thick slab bacon

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon strong black coffee

Grits for serving

Buttermilk Biscuits for serving

When you use standard cured ham instead of old-fashioned true Country Ham, you can omit to soak the ham overnight, soak it if it is salty. Cut the fat from the ham and put aside. Split the ham into pieces, each around 3 by 4 inches. Place the ham in a wide tub, cover with cold water, and cool overnight.

Before cooking, wash, clean and dry the ham. In a big cast iron pan, fry the reserved ham fat and bacon only, if your ham does not contain sufficient fat to create at least 2 tablespoons of fat, until browned and crispy. Transfer the browned pieces to the paper towels to drain.

Fry the ham in a single skillet, rotating regularly, until well browned on both sides.  When each batch is done, drain  paper towels and keep warm.

Remove the skillet from fire and gently remove all but one tablespoon of the oil. Return to medium flame, whisk in the sugar. Cook , stirring continuously, until the sugar has dissolved and starts to caramelize for about 30 seconds.

Start adding the warm water to the skillet and stir until well melded. Cook for 1 minute, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned pieces. Apply the coffee to the skillet and whisk until well mixed.