Johnny Cash Absolutely Loved This Fried Meat With His Morning Eggs

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It's not as much a type of old-school breakfast dish that's rarely seen today as a regional specialty, but "man in black" Johnny Cash's love of fried bologna for the first meal of the day is still unusual to many contemporary foodies. In John Carter Cash's cookbook, "The Cash and Carter Family Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from Johnny and June's Table," he speaks of his father's love for a humble, unfussy repast with big Southern charm. Fried bologna is a breakfast that's accessible and simple to duplicate, making it effortless to try for yourself.

John Carter Cash reminisces that the delightful smell of frying bologna greeted him during chilly mornings. Johnny Cash liked his fried bologna nearly burnt, served with canned biscuits and scrambled eggs that he cooked in the bologna grease. He favored ketchup for the eggs and meat, and honey and butter for the biscuits. In the cookbook, John suggests freshening up the plate with some diced tomato.

Given that he grew up poor in Arkansas, it's easy to speculate that Cash may have developed his love for fried bologna because it was an affordable protein. Since he spent some time living in the Volunteer State, we also have to wonder if he ever tried Tennessee rag bologna – or, for a real twist, Mexican bologna that's technically illegal in the United States! Today, fried bologna may often be considered a distinctly Southern treat, with several options for serving.

A Reddit forum dedicated to Appalachia dubs fried bologna the "breakfast of champions," with one adoring comment gushing, "Git 'em [sic] to slice it 'bout an inch thick at the store and grill it. Better'n steak." Other folks remembered calling this dish "Kentucky steak" or letting the sliced bologna curl in on itself when fried, then filling the meaty bowl with baked beans. Other social media denizens helpfully chime in that, if curling bologna is not what you're after, you should slice the edges of the meat before frying so they lie flat. 

Fried bologna appears often in breakfast sandwiches, subbing for bacon and sausage when smothered with cheddar cheese and a fried egg. "This comfort food staple is easy to make and packs a punch of flavor in every bite," drawls a YouTube creator making a fried bologna sandwich. That right there is the appeal of fried bologna: it doesn't take a culinary degree to prepare, and it's affordable, tasty, and endlessly versatile.

Johnny Cash was an old-school Southerner, but foodies north and south of the Mason-Dixon line still enjoy fried bologna today. There's no reason why anyone shouldn't try it out, because bologna is sold prominently at most supermarkets, coast to coast. When you try your fried bologna with eggs and a biscuit, think fondly of Johnny Cash, who may have been powered by such a meal when he wrote some of his timeless country hits!