Man Cave Cuisine

As the holidays fast approach, I wanted to focus on some traditional ingredients in a not-so-traditional way.  Country Ham is a salt-cured product that is sometimes smoked and aged for 2-3 years.  It has a uniquely salty flavor that when paired with other flavors, can be a great addition or the star in a dish.  For my take on this, I started with sliced country ham steaks from Browning’s Country Ham.  I always try to incorporate local products in my dishes!

Everyone thinks of “country ham and biscuits” or “country ham and red eye gravy” when talking about country ham, but I wanted a meal with many different flavors.  Here are 5 County Ham Sliders that were gobbled up at my house!  We stepped away from traditional biscuits and went with a Hawaiian Slimmwich Bun for all of the sliders.  Each bun was toasted for a few minutes under the broiler.

(Left to right: Country Ham & Swiss with Bourbon Mustard Slider, Classic Country Ham Slider Royale,
Country Ham and Apple Slaw Slider)

Country Ham and Apple Slaw Slider
Bun
Country Ham Steak Slice
Apple Slaw

• 1 medium green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
• 2 Fuji or Gala apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• Juice of 2 large lime
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 5 tablespoons apples juice
• 2 tablespoons  vegetable oil
• Kosher salt

1. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, apple slices, green onion and jalapeno.
2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine honey, lime juice, and apple juice. Slowly, whisk in the oil.
3. Toss together
4. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and toss again.
5. Chill until ready to serve. (this makes a bunch, so plan to use it other places too)

Lightly toast the bun in the oven.
Fry the ham in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side.
Cut ham into pieces to fit the bun and top with Apple Slaw.

Country Ham & Swiss with Bourbon Mustard Slider
Bun
Country Ham Steak Slice
Swiss Cheese (sliced)
Bourbon Mustard

• 1 1/4 cups dark Karo syrup
• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Whisk ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, lower heat, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce begins to thicken. Cool to room temperature before serving—it will thicken as it cools.  Makes 2 cups.

Lightly toast the bun in the oven.
Fry the ham in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side.
Cut ham into pieces to fit the bottom bun and top with swiss cheese.
Toast open-faced in the oven to melt the cheese.
Add generous portion of bourbon mustard and top bun.

Classic Country Ham Slider Royale
Bun
Country Ham Steak Slice
Romaine Lettuce
Mayo (I used Garlic Herb Sandwhich Spread)
Fried Egg Over Easy

Lightly toast the bun in the oven.
Fry the ham in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side.
Cut ham into pieces to fit the bun and top with mayo spread, Romaine Lettuce and Over Easy Egg.

Country Ham & Beer Cheese Slider
Bun
Country Ham Steak Slice
Romaine Lettuce
Beer Cheese (I made my own Beer Cheese, but you can use any brand you like)

Lightly toast the bun in the oven.
Fry the ham in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side.
Spread a generous amount of Beer Cheese on the top bun and add some lettuce.

(Bourbon Glazed Country Ham & Pepper Jack Slider)

Bourbon Glazed Country Ham & Pepper Jack Slider
Bun
Country Ham Steak Slice
Pepper Jack Cheese (sliced)
Romaine Lettuce (optional)
2 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs Bourbon
1 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Maple Syrup

Lightly toast the bun in the oven.
In a heated skillet, add butter and melt.  Add bourbon, brown sugar, and syrup and stir until blended (note: may bubble up a bit).
Fry the ham in the glaze for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Remove from heat.
Cut Ham into pieces to fit the bottom bun and top with pepper jack cheese.  Toast open-faced in the oven to melt the cheese.

We made 2-3 sliders of each type and split each one in half to share around.  We fed 4 adults and everyone was stuffed!  Make them all, choose your favorite one, or create your own – but you WILL enjoy!

You can buy Browning’s Country Ham products by visiting their site at: www.browningscountryham.com

Brian

Love cooking, love eating even more! Favorite foods are Cajun and Italian! One of these days Cavan and Alex will be able to cook as good as me!

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