What Is Tasso?

I went to Merriam Webster online this morning, but the only entry for tasso was referring to an Italian poet from the 16th century. That's not exactly what I was looking for.

So I headed to the often-unreliable wikipedia and found this description for tasso~

Tasso ham is a specialty of Cajun cuisine. It is a version of smoked pork made from the shoulder butt. In this case, "ham" is a misnomer, since tasso is not made from the hind leg of a pig. This cut is typically fatty, though leaner cuts are often used and have a great deal of flavor. The butt, which will weigh 7 to 8 pounds, is sliced across the grain into pieces about 3 in / 7.5 cm thick. These are dredged in a salt cure, which usually includes nitrates and sugar. The meat is left to cure briefly, only three or four hours, then rinsed, rubbed with a spice mixture containing Cayenne pepper and garlic, and hot-smoked until cooked through.

Tasso is not typically eaten on its own. It is used in dishes ranging from pasta to crab cakes, soup to gravy. Appropriate to its roots, tasso is most often found in recipes of southern or Cajun/Creole origin, such as jambalaya.

And now I get to find out all about tasso for myself since a great friend gave me some that she made herself! It smells delicious. I think I'll start with a pot of red beans....