Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving Ham

2007's Thanksgiving Ham

I am in possession of  a ham, described as 'heritage pork', no breed specified, apple-wood-smoked by D'Artagnan. And I bet it will taste no different than the hams I used to buy from the supermarket, made from mass-raised pigs. Seriously, I would love to do a blind tasting of supermarket vs artisinal vs mass-organic (as I would describe D'Artagnan) hams, post two-day preparation, my way.

Regardless, I will feel virtuous on Thursday, which makes all the difference. They say. And poor. That's a pig with a price tag.

The cooking of the Thanksgiving ham will begin tomorrow. This is a contradiction in terms because it is already cooked, but I'm telling ya, the 14 hours per the hotbox method overnight and the mustard glazing the next day render a pig to cry for.


Now we need some lost sheep to help us eat it, or next week will be ham every day till I really cry. Actually, maybe not... Potted ham! Yum, good for picnics right into next year.

Nevermind, sheep.

4 comments:

  1. Not wishing to deprive your mink of annual employment, our family recipe that appears to accomplish pretty much the same thing is to:

    1)Place the ham - fat side up - in a roasting pan with a tight lid.

    2) Add five cups of water (You could use your mixture instead.) and cover tightly.

    3) Put in a COLD oven. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR UNTIL TOLD TO!!!!

    4) Heat to 500 - yes, 500 - and cook 1 minute per pound.

    5) Turn off the oven. Wait three hours.

    6) After three hours heat oven to 500 and cook one minute per pound - again.

    7) Turn off the oven and wait 8 hours.

    8) Now, open the oven. You will have a still warm ham with five cups of broth that is delicious. Then you could continue to roast with the sugar.

    We actually use this for salt cured ham, so do not add the sweet but eat it now. Obviously the easiest way is to do it overnight.

    It's a wonderfully easy way to do this job and not interrupt all the other cooking that's going on. Bon appetite!

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  2. meems, it is it is!

    Beence, poor schmink. It's ready.

    webb, jeepers! That does similar. Alas, I am mired in tradition and must do the pig in mink...but if I ever have a roasting pan with lid, I may attempt your method.

    ReplyDelete

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