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, 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 | Top

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

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

1. 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.
2. Put your 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. this will take 2 to 3 hours. Place the ham onto a large cutting board. Save the stock for future recipes.
3. Heat oven to 325°F.
4. When the ham is cool enough to handle peel away the rind and most of the fat. Score away the remaining fat.
5. 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. 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 | Top

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

Cherry sauce
2 cans pitted dark sweet red cherries, drained (reserve 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

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Put the ham with the fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
2. 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.
3. While baking, add water to your reserved cherry liquid so that you have 1½ cups of liquid.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Ham and apple bagels | Top

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs water
2 cinnamon raisin bagels, cut in half and half cream
1 tart cooking apple cider, cored, cu into 4 half inch rings
8 slices shaved cooked ham
8 slices cheddar cheese (3 x 1 x 1/8 inches)

Servings: 4

1. Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet. Stir in the cinnamon, sugar and water. Heat it over a medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture comes just to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 full minute, still stirring. Remove from heat.
2. Dip the cut side of the bagel halves into the sugar mix. Then place the cut side up onto a baking sheet and set aside.
3. Place the apple rings into the remaining sugar mix. Cook over a medium heat until apple rings are crispy and tender; turn them once or twice to fully cook both sides.
4. Heat broiler.
5. Broil the bagel halves 5 to 7 inches from heat for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
6. Top each bagel half with 1 apple ring and 2 slices of ham. Return to the broiler. Allow to heat through for 1-2 minutes. Add 2 strips of cheese to the tops of the ham  -in an X pattern- and return to broiler for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese melts.