Ham Anthology

In praise of 2006 as the Year of Expensive Meats:

Zingerman's said so. Martha said so. Country ham is delectable. And so I researched. My criteria: small producer--preferably family owned, heritage recipe, smoky cure. I selected my 14-16 lb. country ham from Broadbent's in KY.

In order to cook a country ham, you must:
plan for the right occasion;
hang your ham in a cool, dry place until 48 or more hours before the event;
begin soaking the ham in changes of water to remove the salt;
soak in a final wash of water with 1 cup each brown sugar & vinegar for 24 hours;
bake in a water bath for approximately 4 hours;
remove the skin (yes, that's right, pig skin) and the substantial layer of fat, leaving some to keep the ham moist during its final oven journey;
glaze with brown sugar, vinegar, and for fun--pineapple;
broil to finish cooking;
carve enough for eating....and then the fun begins!!

You can:
carve the ham as a craft, freeze ham, have ham biscuits for breakfast, put the hammed hock in your largest pot with some navy beans and a foil lid since the hock is bigger than the pot, remove some more ham to add to the beans, wrap the hock and store for later use, cook it with green beans and potatoes, throw out the hock because you are wondering where the word hock came from, etc.

I recommend cooking a country ham as a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. For carnivores. Now, it's off to ham leftovers.....

Wine (by unanimous vote): O'Reilly's Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, OR