Heritage Dry Cured Country Ham

Heritage Dry Cured Country Ham – The Original Frontier Charcuterie

Before prosciutto was shipped here. Before jamón made it to American tables. Before European charcuterie was even an option... there was country ham.

This is America's original dry-cured pork, born in Appalachian hills where families salted and hung hams not for craft, but for survival. No fancy curing chambers. No temperature-controlled rooms. Just salt, time, and air — the same method that's kept families alive through brutal winters for centuries before refrigeration was even a concept.

This is heritage breed country ham — made from pasture-raised, old-line pigs like Berkshire, Duroc, and Red Wattle that were raised before industrial farming bred marbling and flavor out in favor of leanness. These are the breeds that built American charcuterie when fat actually meant something. No hormones. No antibiotics. No shortcuts. Just pigs raised on pasture with space, sunshine, and an all-natural diet.

And this isn't traditional country ham either — the kind that hits you with salt like a freight train and needs soaking before you can even think about cooking it.

No, this is prosciutto-style country ham. Lighter cure. Sweeter balance. Aged 12-18 months and lightly smoked for complexity without overpowering the meat. The result is a ham that's meant to be sliced paper-thin and enjoyed — straight onto a board, draped over melon, or layered into biscuits without ever seeing a skillet.

It's the American answer to prosciutto, built with frontier grit and heritage genetics. Salt-cured for preservation. Aged long enough to develop the deep, umami-rich complexity that only time can create. This is what happens when Appalachian tradition meets old-world technique and nobody compromises on the ham.

What You're Getting:

• 18-20 lb whole bone-in heritage breed country ham
• Pasture-raised pork from heritage breeds 
• Aged 12-18 months for deep, concentrated flavor
• Prosciutto-style preparation — slice thin and serve
• Lighter cure than traditional country ham
• Lightly smoked for complexity without overpowering
• Shelf-stable without refrigeration until you slice into it
• Hand-cured using Kentucky tradition that dates back over a century

This isn't gas station country ham. This isn't even traditional country ham. This is what you get when heritage genetics meet Italian technique on American soil — and it belongs on the same board as anything Europe's got.

Old World technique. Heritage breed backbone. Built to rival prosciutto, but only in the way that Kentuckians can do it. 

Details

• Weight: 18-20 lbs (whole bone-in)
• Breeds: Heritage breeds (Berkshire, Duroc, Red Wattle)
• Aging: 12-18 months
• Style: Prosciutto-style (ready to eat, slice thin)
• Ingredients: Pork, salt, sugar, sodium nitrite
• Storage: Shelf-stable until sliced; refrigerate after opening

Note: This ham is prosciutto-style and meant to be sliced paper-thin and eaten uncooked. It's sweeter and lighter than traditional country ham but still boldly flavored. If you're used to grocery store prosciutto, expect more intensity. If you're used to traditional country ham, expect more finesse.