Last year marked 50 years since Allan Benton took over the operations of a modest ham-making business in far east Tennessee. Visiting that same Madisonville cinder-block building today is like stepping back in time.
The only telephone at Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams is a rotary version on Allan’s desk. The walls are lined with Post-it notes that curl at the edges with age. Old calendars with local advertisements, from a time when seven-digit phone numbers were all we knew, can be found in stacks. It may feel like time stands still here, but to be sure, changes are afoot. Really good changes. Raised in Scott County, Virginia, Allan Benton grew up watching and helping his mother and father cure hams, slathering the meaty legs with a mixture of sugar, salt, and spices that naturally cured the meat before it hit the hardwood smoke that sealed in the unctuous flavor.
As a young adult, Allan had a brief career as a high school guidance counselor before deciding he had more of a mind to work with hams than teenagers. After all, hams don’t talk back or roll their eyes when given advice. All kidding aside, crafting great Southern hams and bacon is just what Allan Benton has always done best. Fine-tuning his craft and producing a superior product are all he’s ever wanted to do. That his Smoky Mountain hams have been lauded by everyone from chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants to rural home cooks is lagniappe to him.
This story is from the Summer 2024 edition of The Local Palate.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Summer 2024 edition of The Local Palate.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Dinner Party Dining
This Charleston restaurant takes a new approach to the chef's tasting menu
Las Islas Bonitas
Author and documentarian Von Diaz celebrates the traditional cooking techniques of tropical islands
Well-Versed
Lenoir in Austin serves up cocktails made mostly without liquor
Core of the Matter
Peeling back the layers of history gives this Mississippi café owner his purpose
Port Side
Find neighborhood charm, nautical history, and an artistic streak in Norfolk, Virginia
Chasing Pleasure in Portugal
Called across the sea, a consummate host considers her true calling
Smoke Signals
The next generation takes over Benton’s
Two Scoops of Nostalgia
This popular ice cream flavor at Crank Boom tastes like the real thing
WHY AREN'T WE EATING MORE WILD-CAUGHT SHRIMP?
Americans are eating more shrimp than ever, up to 5 pounds per capita per year—but it’s not the shrimp most of them think they’re eating
a better bean
Why we’re up for a new take on butter beans