Smokehouses: The Art of Curing Meats

Abstract

The process of curing meats began as a necessary way to preserve meat before the advent of refrigeration. Today, those same methods are practiced across Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina where preserving meats, especially ham, is an art form. However, despite the current financial success and popularity of select companies known for their hams, these families turned to curing meats because it was a way to make money in tight financial times. In a region known for its farming communities, cured hams and other specialty cuts of meat have survived changing agricultural and health codes without losing touch with the flavors and traditions that made these products unique.