Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy, Biscuits, and Eggs

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Southern comfort: salty-sweet country ham with a bold, coffee-forward pan gravy.
• Flaky, buttery buttermilk biscuits that rise tall and layer beautifully.
• Balanced plate: runny fried eggs add richness that marries with the tangy red-eye gravy.
• Made mostly in a cast-iron skillet with simple pantry staples.

Grocery List

• Produce: Fresh chives (or parsley)
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, buttermilk, large eggs
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, black pepper, strong coffee, brown sugar (optional), apple cider vinegar, country ham (thin-sliced), water or unsalted chicken stock

Full Ingredients

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt (use 1/2 tsp if using table salt)
• 6 tbsp (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4–1 cup (180–240 ml) cold buttermilk
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)

Country Ham

• 1 lb country ham, thin-sliced (4 slices, 3–4 oz each, about 1/8–1/4 inch thick)

Red-Eye Gravy

• 1 cup strong hot brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup water or unsalted chicken stock
• 1 tsp packed brown sugar (optional, balances bitterness)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (to finish)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fried Eggs

• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter or bacon drippings
• Black pepper, to taste

To Serve

• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives (or parsley)
• Hot sauce (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat and prep your station

Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the upper third. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Cube the 6 tbsp cold butter and chill again while you measure the dry ingredients. Brew 1 cup of strong coffee so it’s hot and ready for the gravy.

Step 2: Make the biscuit dough

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter. Drizzle in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms; add up to 1/4 cup more buttermilk only if needed to pick up the dry bits.

Step 3: Laminate, cut, and bake biscuits

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold like a letter (into thirds), rotate 90 degrees, and repeat twice more for flaky layers. Pat to 1-inch thick again. Use a 2.5-inch round cutter (press straight down without twisting) to cut 8 biscuits, gathering scraps gently as needed. Freeze the cut biscuits on the tray for 10 minutes (helps rise). Bake 12–15 minutes until tall and deep golden. Brush tops with 1 tbsp melted butter.

Step 4: Sear the country ham

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add the ham slices (no extra fat needed unless your skillet is very dry; add 1 tsp butter only if necessary). Sear 1–2 minutes per side until edges caramelize and some fat renders. Transfer ham to a warm plate. Keep the skillet on medium heat with the drippings and browned bits.

Step 5: Deglaze with coffee for red-eye gravy

Carefully pour in 1 cup hot coffee and 1/2 cup water or unsalted stock. It will sizzle. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan. Simmer briskly 4–6 minutes until reduced by about one-third.

Step 6: Balance and finish the gravy

Stir in 1 tsp brown sugar (optional) and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. Add freshly ground black pepper. Off heat, swirl in 1 tbsp butter to give the gravy a light sheen. Taste; the ham provides plenty of salt, so you likely won’t need more. Keep warm over low heat.

Step 7: Fry the eggs

In a nonstick or cleaned skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Crack in the eggs and cook 3–4 minutes for sunny-side-up (cover the pan for the last minute for set whites), or flip for over-easy. Season with black pepper.

Step 8: Plate and serve

Split warm biscuits. Lay a slice of country ham on each plate, spoon over red-eye gravy, and add a fried egg alongside (or on top). Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately. Offer hot sauce at the table.

Pro Tips

• Keep biscuit ingredients cold and handle the dough gently; visible butter pieces create steam and flaky layers.
• Don’t salt the gravy until you taste it—country ham is powerfully salty on its own.
• Strong coffee makes better gravy; aim for a dark roast brewed on the strong side.
• Reduce the gravy until it lightly coats a spoon; it should be thin but flavorful, not watery.
• Runny yolks act like a built-in sauce—sunny-side-up or over-easy pairs wonderfully with the ham and biscuits.

Variations

• Cheddar-Chive Biscuits: Add 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 1 tbsp chopped chives to the dry ingredients before the butter.
• Spiked Red-Eye: Swap 2 tbsp of the water/stock for bourbon; simmer to cook off alcohol before finishing with butter.
• Grits on the Side: Serve creamy stone-ground grits in place of (or alongside) the biscuits; spoon red-eye gravy over grits and ham.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Baked biscuits keep at room temperature, covered, for 1 day, or refrigerate up to 3 days; rewarm at 350°F (175°C) for 6–8 minutes. Unbaked cut biscuits freeze well up to 2 months; bake from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes. Red-eye gravy refrigerates up to 4 days; reheat gently, adding a splash of water if needed. Cooked ham keeps 3–4 days refrigerated; rewarm briefly in a skillet. Eggs are best cooked to order.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate: 760 calories; 46 g fat; 48 g carbohydrates; 32 g protein; fiber 1 g; sugars 4 g. Sodium is high due to country ham (estimate 2,000–2,400 mg). Values vary by brand and portion size.