Did your mom/grandma whoever make ham barbecue?

[Mosca]

When we were growing up in Pittsburgh, our mom used to make ham barbecue: it was basically deli ham, sliced thin, heated in a pan with bbq sauce and served on a bun with relish. It was also pretty common at potluck suppers, and if you went over to a friend’s house and were invited to stay for lunch or dinner, there was a fair chance you’d get ham barbecue sandwiches.

The reason I’m asking isn’t to be nostalgic; it’s that when I googled it, the first page of results were mostly Pittsburgh ham barbecue sandwiches. So, I’m curious: how widespread were ham barbecue sandwiches? It can’t just be Western PA. I would think that would be a straightforward Middle America thing, something moms made in Indiana, California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, wherever. A pound of chipped ham and a bottle of Kraft sauce fed a family of 8 for my mom, after all.

[ssandy_561]

We ate that growing up in Western NY (Olean) and it is common here in Ohio (just south of the Pro Football Hall of Fame). Still one of my favorite sandwiches. I’ll eat it on a low carb wrap with sugar free BBQ sauce from time to time for lunch to this day.

[Jim White]

I remember bologna sandwiches where the bologna was pan fried with barbecue sauce but not ham.

In high school, though, I stayed with my grandmother a few weeks to finish a school year while my family was moving. She managed to make ham salad sandwiches when I was hung over. Still don't eat ham salad more than 50 years later.

[Red Man]

I grew up in MD and I’ve never heard of a ham bbq sandwich.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I'm hard pressed to recall BBQ sauce going on anything other than grilled chicken as a kid, until restaurant sauce soaked, fall off the ribs started getting super popular at which point BBQ sauce started going on pork chops every now and then at home.

[Huskee]

Same!

[Huskee]

Never was a thing in my childhood. Fried ham grilled cheese, yes.

[RonB]

Never heard of it until your post.

[acorgihouse]

I never heard of it either. I grew up in northeast Tennessee, but my mom was raised in Springfield, Mo till high school, then Amarillo, Tx (played flute in the Golden Sandies band). My dad from Tampa, Fl since before birth. I didn't know bbq sauce could be purchased in a jar until I was in college and did my own shopping. I went to college in Waco,Tx and learned about bbq somewhat there (also about HEB, although when I lived in Houston I preferred Fiesta). The only thing I recall is that people put bbq sauce on their burgers sometimes. I moved back to Tn, and in the early 1990s I moved to Houston for a couple of years, where the people I worked with revered brisket like it was some special nosh, and they put bbq sauce on everything. Not sure I knew what brisket was before that. I only knew "corned beef brisket."

I don't think we actually had deli type meat slices at all growing up. My mom did make a ham on Sunday in the Sunday dinner rotation (pot roast, leg of lamb, baked ham, pork roast, and start again) and she ground it up with a hand crank grinder on Sunday night to make ham salad. That's it. Oh, btw, never heard of ham salad since, I think she made it up.

[Jim White]

My grandmother made ham salad.

[Old Glory]

Grew up in Mass. Never heard of Ham BBQ Sandwiches. We had deviled ham with mustard or fried spam slices.

Ham and cheese was also a standard.

[Jfrosty27]

Nope. Never had it. We ate a lot of ham growing up but never Q’d.

[jhapka]

News to me

[Mosca]

Huh. It was so common when I was growing up, I thought it was everywhere. Like, when we had a party with family, or folks over for the football game on Sunday, there was a slow cooker with ham bbq in it, and a pile of buns next to it.

It’s pretty good, by the way: cheap, easy, and tasty! Ask the deli server to slice the ham as “chipped” or “Pittsburgh style”.

[Onez]

Yes - was common for family gatherings and always tasted so good out of the slow cooker. Brings back memories of visiting my grandparents in Pgh when I was a kid

[Attjack]

Never heard of it growing up on the West coast.

[Rfhd69]

Same here

[Donw]

What did hogs ever do to you all in Pittsburgh to deserve such treatment? 🤔🫣🙂

[luvthemstillers]

Grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, and my family made these at least twice a month. It's definitely a Pittsburgh thing, just like putting French fries and coleslaw on a sandwich.

[Mosca]

Yeah, and every Sunday from September through January, right?

[luvthemstillers]

Mosca Absolutely!