Southern Beaten Biscuits and Boone County Country Ham

Have you ever had a Beaten Biscuit? Have you ever heard of them? I actually grew up enjoying these baked wonders, a cross between a cracker and a biscuit. In Columbia, Missouri, where I grew up, we ate them with a thin slice of Boone County Country Ham tucked inside. My Grandmother Johnston was the only one in town that still made them as far as I remember. They were such a treat and I can still remember the way the surface of the biscuit felt, the texture in my mouth, and above all, the taste.
Forget about a nice fluffy hot biscuit, the kind you slather with butter and honey. Beaten biscuits are a whole different story. Actually, the story, or history, of the Beaten Biscuit is very interesting.

Beaten biscuits originated in Virginia and traveled across the mountains to Kentucky and then north to Maryland. Chuck wagon cooks also made them, recruiting a gullible new cowhand for help. They were considered the pride of the South, and in earlier days no Southern hostess would fail to offer these at any and all times of the day. They are one of the delicious hot breads that have made Southern cooks famous. They were basically considered an upper-class status symbol dish that depended on a lot of labor. Making the beaten biscuits was the daily duty of the plantation cook.
To achieve the right texture and lightness, the dough had to be beaten hard (usually with a mallet) for at least 30 minutes. The purpose of the beating was to incorporate air into the mixture (this was a time in history before the invention of baking powder). They were a very heavy biscuit, not like our present day baking powder biscuits.

Grandmother finally found a “Biscuit Brake”, a work table with a roller that did the beating for you. It saved her a great deal of time and an amazing amount of effort!

There are recipes today, saying you can use a food processor for the mixing and beating of the dough. I’ve tried several, but somehow they fall way short of Grandmother’s biscuits! But I keep searching, keep experimenting, keep hoping. Maybe someday I can whip out a batch and teach my children and grandchildren what Beaten Biscuits and Boone County Country Ham are all about.
If you want to try one of today’s recipes for these old time Southern favorites, here is a recipe for you. And yes, there is a small amount of baking powder added to help with the modernization of a very old recipe.

Beaten Biscuits

Yield 2 dozen (serving size: 1 biscuit)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 11 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/2 cup cold 1% low-fat milk
1/3 cup ice water
Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor; pulse 4 times. Add shortening; pulse 6 times or until well blended. Add milk and 1/3 cup ice water; process 1 1/2 minutes. (Dough should have a shiny appearance.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Uncover dough; roll to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 2-inch round cutter. (Reroll scraps.) Place dough circles on a baking sheet. Pierce tops of dough circles with a fork. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until just barely lightly browned.

Now, for the Country Ham! They are available on line at

http://www.boonecountyham.com/contact.htm

And of course, there are always the wonderful country hams from Smithfield Hams! (see link below)

Step 1: Clean and Soak Your Ham
Aged hams, like cheese, mold in the process. If there is mold on your ham's surface, don't be alarmed. The mold is not harmful. It simply needs to be cleaned off. You will also need to soak the ham to remove excess salt.
Wash the ham in warm water.
Scrub the mold from the surface of the ham with a stiff brush.
Rinse the ham well.
Two days before you plan on serving the ham, place it in a large pan.
Cover the ham with cold water.
Let the water-covered ham stand at room temperature.
Depending on the saltiness of the ham, crystals will begin to form on the ham's surface.
If crystals begin to form, change the water every 4 to 6 hours. Let the ham soak for at least 12 hours.
If crystals do not form, change the water every 6 to 10 hours. Let the ham soak for 6 to 12 hours.
Once the ham has been scrubbed and soaked, it is ready to cook.

Step 2: Bake Your Ham

Add bay leaves and peppercorns to the boiling water. (There are several different ways to prepare a country ham. The following directions outline a method which involves boiling and oven-browning. Other preparation methods are available via downloadable PDFs at Smithfield Hams' website.
What You'll Need
Whole or half dry-cured ham
Bay leaves and peppercorns (Optional)
Cloves (if scoring)
1 large pot
Roasting pan
Aluminum foil
Meat thermometer
Sharp knife (if trimming and scoring)
Scrub and soak ham according to the directions is Step 1.
In a large pot, cover ham with water.
Add bay leaves and peppercorns to pot. (Optional)
Boil for 20 to 25 minutes per pound.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees towards the end of the boiling process.
Drain ham.
Trim, score and glaze ham if desired.
Insert meat thermometer into the ham.
Place ham in roasting pan.
Brown at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove the ham from the oven.
Do not overcook the ham. It's internal temperature should be 160 degrees F.
Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

For Southern style Ham Biscuits, slice the ham as thin as you possibly can.

Place some on a beaten biscuit and lean back, close your eyes and get ready for what dreams are made of!