REAL HAM-DINGER

Foodies’ favorite smokehouse in ‘pig’ trouble

Manhattan foodies could be left squealing for their favorite smoked-pork delicacies if a legendary Virginia smokehouse is forced to close.

Sam Wallace Edwards III’s nearly century-old Edwards Virginia Smokehouse in Surry — which supplies restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park and Momofuku Ssam Bar with dry-cured, hickory-smoked country ham — burned down three years ago.

Since then, he’s been operating out of temporary locations, as he’s unable to rebuild during a dispute with his insurance company.

If he fails to get the insurance payout that he says he’s due in a Vir- ginia Supreme Court showdown that starts Tuesday, he’ll likely be forced out of business.

“It feels awful. It’s a tremendous loss,” said Edwards, 52. “This is a fourth-generation business and my family’s future is at stake.”

He’s suing the Selective Way Insurance firm for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty.

“The company severely underestimated the damage,” Edwards charged. “We’re going to do whatever it takes for us to rebuild.”

In January 2018, the blaze — likely sparked by an electrical problem — ripped through his family’s sprawling smokehouse and curing facility, destroying $2.5 million in ham and sausage.

After his dreams went up in hickory smoke, Edwards began making due by operating out of other locations in Kentucky and North Carolina.

But the “consistency of the flavor” is tricky to maintain at the new sites, he said. And if Williams doesn’t get the money to rebuild his old $22 million facility, he could go out of business — leaving New Yorkers without their mouthwatering meaty treats.

Momofuku Ssam Bar, for example, serves Edwards’ thinly sliced, 400day-aged Surryano ham as is, describing it as “nutty, fatty and cheesy.” The critically acclaimed East Village hot spot also dishes out plates of Edward’s “Wigwam” ham, which has notes of “coffee and black pepper.”

After the fire, Edwards said dozens of diehard ham fans— New Yorkers among them — sent him letters of support.

“They’ve written saying, ‘ Hang in there,’ ” he said.

Others said pigging out is part of their holiday tradition. “They tell me the flavor profile means a lot to their families,” Edwards said.

Along with the lawsuit, Edwards said he may also consider other ways of raising funds to save his meatery.

“We might start taking money from investors,” he said.

“If Jeff Bezos wanted to come in, we could do a deal.”