Feeling a little hammy

If you are feeling a little hammy, read on.

There are two general categories of ham, one is city and the other is country. The distinction comes from the curing process. Country hams are dry-cured, meaning that they are salted and aged. The results are a salty, firm, dry meat like prosciutto. While the city ham is wet-cured in a brine of salt solution, similar to pickles, this produces a moister slicing ham, the kind you typically find in your local grocer.

Are you feeling a little hammy?

Most of your country hams are made in small batches in the Southern States. The hams are cured in salt or a mixture of sugar and salt, for several weeks -five being the average. The meat must lose at least 18% of its fresh weight. Many of these country hams lose more than that, on average they will lose up to 25% of their weight. This is to create a saltier, more concentrated ham flavor. To help preserve and prevent any bacteria from growing, and because of law, the ham must absorb at least 4% salt. Once the curing process is over for the country ham, it's smoked over hardwoods for 2 to 6 days, rubbed with some black pepper and then aged for at least 60 days. The longer the ham has aged, the stronger the flavors will be.

The city ham comes in many different shapes and sizes. Some are labeled boneless while others are labeled bone-in. Boneless hams are usually made by the pressing together of various other pieces of meat. The skin is often made by a machine that will score he exterior and paints on some food coloring. There is also the issue of water content when it comes to city hams. Many of the large commercial producers inject their meat with brine to increase the weight, thus the cost to you. Brined hams taste stronger and are gentler on your pocket book than those injected as they do not have all that added water weight that will end up cooking out. Any thing with the words ate added or with natural juices on the label will more than likely been injected and will cook up moister, less smoky and lighter in flavor. Hams with the label no water added are closer to the country ham without all the salt, and is a better choice if you enjoy the ham taste.

Serving city ham is a matter of glazing and baking. There is a little more work involved with cooking the country ham. These hams may not be in your stores, but there are several mail order and internet companies that will help you find that perfect country ham. Try the Baked ham with sweet Cherries, or Ham and apple Bagels for your city hams. Either the country or the city hams will do wonderfully with your choice of Mustard and brown sugar glaze or a Brown sugar and orange juice glaze.

When it comes to keeping your ham, fully cooked, store wrapped, whole hams can be kept up to 7 days, if cut in half they can bee kept only 3 to 5 days. The fully cooked and sliced ham should be kept for 3 to 4 days. You may freeze your ham for 1 to 2 months. If you plan on heating your ham, your oven should be preheated to 325 °F (160 °C), a 5-8 lb boneless half ham ill take 1½ to 2¼ hours to heat thoroughly. Cook-before-eating hams (fresh cured ham) should be cooked at 325°F (160 °C) until a food thermometer inserted in the meat measures 160°F (71°C). Don't baste with the hams own juices, instead glaze during the last hour of cooking.

The Recipes

Baked country ham

Country ham is best served in very thin slices over biscuits. They are too salty to enjoy as a thick slice.

Country hams are a specialist product — if they're not available locally, look online. Producers such as Edwards Virginia Smokehouse and Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams ship nationwide and are well regarded.

Ingredients

1 country ham, 14-15 lbs
1 cup glaze of your choice, mustard and brown sugar, or orange juice and brown sugar, for instance

Instructions

Scrub the mold off of your ham. Remove the hock with a hacksaw. If your ham is less than 6 months in age, skip to the next step. If ham is older than 6 months old, place it in a large stock pot filled with cool water and pace in a cool place. Change the water out once a day. Hams that have been aged 6-12 months should soak for 36 hours, hams older than one year will be soaked for 3 days. Drain the ham and scrub.

Put the ham in a large stock pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to just a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat reads 120° F (50 °C). this will take 2 to 3 hours. Place the ham onto a large cutting board. Save the stock for future recipes.

Heat oven to 325 °F (165 °C).

When the ham is cool enough to handle peel away the rind and most of the fat. Score away the remaining fat.

Place ham on a flat rack in a large roasting pan that has been lines with a double layer of foil. Pour about 2 cups of water into the pan. Smear on the glaze. Bake for 1 hour or until the meat thermometer reads 140 °F (60 °C). Remove from oven and place on a cutting board. allow to cool for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Baked ham with sweet cherry sauce

A glazed baked ham is already a showstopper, but the cherry sauce takes it somewhere special. Dark sweet cherries, warm spices, and a touch of bourbon reduce into a glossy, deep-flavored sauce that cuts beautifully through the richness of the ham. This is a centrepiece dish — the kind that fills the kitchen with a smell that brings everyone to the table before you've called them.

Ingredients

5-7 lbs fully cooked smoked bone-in half ham

For the cherry sauce 

2-3 cups dark sweet red cherries, fresh or frozen, pitted (thawed if frozen; reserve any liquid)
water
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
2 tbs lemon juice

Servings: 14

Instructions

Heat your oven to 325°F. Score the fat surface of the ham in a diamond pattern before baking — this helps the glaze penetrate. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place the ham fat-side up on a rack in a roasting pan.

Bake for 1 1/2 hour for a 5 lb ham and up to 2 1/2 hours for a 7 lb ham (anywhere for 18 to 24 minutes per pound.) Your meat thermometer needs to reach 130°F when placed into the thickest part of the ham.

While baking, add water to your reserved cherry liquid so that you have 1½ cups of liquid.

In a 2 quart saucepan mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt, add in the cherry liquid and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add in the butter, cinnamon sticks, cloves and lemon juice. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil, 4-6 minutes. Boil for a full minute before removing the cinnamon sticks and the cloves. Stir in the cherries.

When your ham has finished baking, remove from oven. Brush some of the cherry sauce onto the ham. To help the sauce penetrate the fat, cut the fat surface with small diamond patterns. Return to oven and continue to bake and brush with cherry sauce for 10 minutes or until your meat thermometer reaches 140°F. Remove from oven and slice. Serve with cherries and remaining sauce.

Notes

You could also use 2 cans of pitted dark sweet cherries.

Ham and apple bagels

Sweet caramelized apple, salty ham, and melted cheese on a toasted bagel — this is the kind of thing that sounds simple until you make it and realize it's exactly what you wanted. The apple rings are cooked in a buttery brown sugar glaze until just tender, the bagels get the same treatment, and everything goes under the broiler together. A smear of whole grain mustard and a handful of greens keep it from tipping too sweet. Good for a lazy weekend brunch or a quick weeknight supper.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter (unsalted butter)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs water
2 cinnamon raisin bagels, or everything bagels (halved, cut sides slightly buttered)
1 tart apple such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady (cored, cut into 4 half inch rings)
8 slices cooked ham (shaved thin)
8 slices cheese such as sharp Cheddar or Gruyère (3 x 1 x 1/8 inches)
Small handful of arugula or baby spinach (optional)
Hot honey to finish (optional)

Servings: 4

Instructions

Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture  just comes to a boil. Boil for 1 full minute, still stirring. Remove from heat.

Dip the cut side of the bagel halves into the sugar mixture to coat, then place the cut side up onto a baking sheet and set aside.

Place the apple rings into the remaining sugar mixture in the pan. Cook over medium heat, turning once, until the apple rings are caramelized and just tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Heat the broiler. Broil the bagel halves 5 to 7 inches from heat for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

Spread a thin layer of whole grain mustard on each toasted bagel half. Top with a few leaves of arugula, then 1 apple ring and 2 slices of ham. Return to the broiler for 1-2 minutes to heat through.

Lay 1 slice of cheese over each bagel and return to the broiler 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Finish with a drizzle of hot honey if you like. Serve immediately.