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Country Ham Biscuit with Red-Eye Gravy

Tall buttermilk biscuits, seared country ham, and thin coffee gravy make a savory Southern breakfast plate in about forty-five minutes.

A flaky split biscuit holds browned country ham under a thin glossy coffee gravy.

The biscuits bake first, giving the ham time to sear and the gravy to come together in the skillet drippings. A brief cold-water soak is reserved for slices that taste especially salty, keeping the finished plate balanced.

Keep the biscuit dough cold

Cold butter and a light touch shape the biscuits. Stop mixing once the dough holds together, then fold it only a couple of times so the layers bake up tender and tall.

Bake before the skillet work

The hot oven lifts the biscuits while the butter creates pockets in the crumb. Moving them to a rack after baking keeps their bottoms from steaming as the ham and gravy finish.

Cold butter flakes are cut into the flour mixture before buttermilk is stirred in. — Cold butter flakes are cut into the biscuit flour before the buttermilk is added.

Let country ham season the pan

Patting the ham dry encourages browning in the cast-iron skillet. If a slice tastes notably salty, a short soak in cold water softens its edge; drying it well afterward keeps the surface ready to sear.

Build thin red-eye gravy

Strong coffee loosens the browned ham drippings and brings their savory flavor into a glossy, pourable gravy. The mixture stays thin without flour or milk, so it runs into the biscuit layers rather than hiding their texture.

Glossy thin red-eye gravy runs over browned ham and the tender layers of a golden biscuit. — A split biscuit holds browned country ham beneath a thin sheen of coffee gravy.

Country Ham Biscuit with Red-Eye Gravy

4 servings

45 minutes total

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 7/8 cup cold buttermilk, divided
• 8 oz country ham slices
• 2 cups cold water for optional ham soak
• 1/2 cup strong brewed black coffee
• 1/2 cup water for gravy
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, optional for finishing gravy

Method

Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 450 F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment so the biscuits can bake as soon as they are cut.
Look for: The oven is fully heated and the lined pan is ready beside the work surface.
Cut butter into the dry mix
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and sugar in a bowl, then cut in the cold butter until most pieces are pea-sized with a few flat flakes remaining.
Look for: The flour looks crumbly, with visible cold butter pieces and no large clumps.
Shape the biscuits
Stir 3/4 cup cold buttermilk into the flour mixture just until shaggy, fold the dough over itself twice, and pat it 3/4 inch thick; cut 8 rounds, gather scraps once, then brush their tops with the remaining 2 tbsp buttermilk.
Look for: The dough holds together without a dry flour layer, and the cut sides stay distinct rather than compressed.
Bake until tall and golden
Bake the biscuits for 14 to 16 minutes, until their tops are deep golden and the sides look set; transfer them to a rack while you prepare the ham.
Look for: The biscuits have risen, their tops are golden, and the sides no longer look wet.
Check and dry the ham
If the country ham tastes especially salty, soak the slices in 2 cups cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat very dry; otherwise pat them dry without soaking to retain their savory flavor.
Look for: The ham surface is dry before it reaches the skillet, whether or not it was soaked.
Sear the country ham
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the ham for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until browned at the edges and warmed through; move it to a warm plate and keep the rendered drippings in the skillet.
Look for: The ham has browned edges, the center is hot, and a thin layer of savory drippings remains in the pan.
Make the red-eye gravy
Lower the skillet to medium-low, pour in the coffee and water, and scrape up the browned bits; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes with the black pepper, then swirl in the optional butter until glossy and pourable, without adding flour or milk.
Look for: The gravy is thin and glossy, with the coffee aroma softened by the ham drippings rather than thickened into a paste.
Split and serve hot
Split the warm biscuits, add the seared country ham, and spoon the hot red-eye gravy over the filling and cut faces; serve immediately while the biscuit edges remain flaky.
Look for: The gravy runs into the biscuit layers but the tops still hold their shape.