Country Ham
Ham is a great topic of debate among Epicureans and ordinary folks alike. There are many good cooks who have never cooked a country ham. Once you understand the process of curing the ham you will understand the need for the special preparation and cooking procedure. Cooking a country ham is well worth the undertaking.
That which is referred to as "Country Ham" is a dry-cured ham. Dry cure is an ancient European process known to precede the Roman invasion of Gaul. It is a method used to preserve fresh meats for later consumption. Dry cure hams are famous throughout the western world: among the most popular are the Westphalia ham form Germany, the Parma ham for Italy and the Smithfield ham from Virginia. There are many other dry cure hams produced commercially and many small butchers and farmers still cure and smoke their own hams. Ham is the cut from upper thigh and haunch of the pig. Shoulder ham, meat from the shoulder, often cured in the same way, is not ham, strictly speaking. The application of heat or injection of chemicals is not part of the preservation of country ham.
The time honored dry-curing process results in a unique and tangy flavor. Curing typically takes several week before the aging process begins. The hams are cleaned after butchering, coated in salt and may be further flavored with secret combinations of various sugars, spices and black pepper. Then the hams are packed in salt and stored to drain in an area with good air circulation. After several weeks, each ham is wrapped in cheesecloth and hung to age. At this point the ham may be smoked. Smoking takes place in a small area that is poorly ventilated so that the smoke will permeate the meat. A small smoldering fire is made for the sole purpose of producing smoke. The fire is regularly stoked with corn cob, apple or hickory wood to produce an even more distinctive flavor. Only the smoke reaches the hams; no heat is applied. The smoking process can also take several weeks. Then hams are stored in a cool dark place and aged for several months, up to several years. Uncooked country ham should not be stored in the refrigerator but kept in a cool day place with good air circulation. Once the ham is cooked follow stand safety rules for handling and serving meat. Leftovers may be frozen. However they should be packaged in small quantities and used immediately upon thawing.
Choose a ham that is very firm overall, seems to have a large rump and small bone. Read the package or talk to the producer to learn as much about the ham as you can. When you open the ham, the meat should be slightly moldy. This is a good sign and a natural part of the aging process. Most country hams produced commercially come with copious preparation instructions and every ham cook you talk to has his own favorite way to cook the holiday ham. Here is mine.
Place ham in a very large container and cover it with tap water. Soak the ham overnight and pour off the water. If the ham is two years old or encrusted with a thick tough brine which does not come off in the first soaking, repeat the process with fresh water. Fill the tub once again with warm water and scrub the ham with a stiff brush. Pour off the water. Fill the tub a final time with cold water and soak for 1 hour. Remove the ham from the bath and rinse with running water. Place ham in a large roasting pan, add 8 to 10 cups of liquid. Place roaster in a cold oven; set temperature at 325 degrees and roast for 12 minutes to the pound after the temperature light goes off. (Regarding the liquid: Apple cider, apple juice, beer, coke, 7up are recent recommendations. I prefer apple juice. )
Remove ham from roaster and reserve pan juices. Chill juices and remove solid fat from the surface. Reserve juices and fat for further use if desired. Remove skin and reserve. Remove fat except for 1/4 inch covering the surface of the ham. Trim this fat to appear as smooth as possible. Using a sharp knife of a thin wire, score the ham fat across in both directions creating a diamond or checker board effect. Meanwhile, reduce 1 cup of pan juices to 1/4 cup. Add 2 cups of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon dry mustard. Stir and simmer to create a paste about the consistency of jar mustard. Coat the surface of the ham with the sauce. Place a whole clove in each cross cut. Return ham to 350 degree oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sauce has formed a glaze. Remove ham from oven and allow to rest at least 30 minutes before carving. Ham may be served warm, room temperature or chilled. Present your beautiful roast to guests and then carve into very thin slices to arrange on a platter garnished with fresh or dried fruits and greens such as parsley or kale. See section on leftover for things to do with your country ham.