I really got a lot out of this excellent video about how to do a country ham. This weekend was my second attempt at cooking one of these things. I'd learned that many hours of soaking a scrubbing were needed and got that part right. First time I didn't understand the concept of peeling the skin off. We just sliced it up and let each person fend for themselves regarding what they chose to eat or not eat from each piece. Slicing was a strange experience. Glazing it had been a waste of time and materials. This time, I watched your video and then replayed parts of it at least 3 times while taking notes. The results were a marvelous improvement over the last one. I used an oven bag. What a great idea. I pulled it at 140 degrees internal temperature. The skin didn't come off in one fairly large piece as it did in the video and perhaps I started peeling it the wrong way. I was able to get it all off with a bit more knife persuasion and trimmed everything down. Then I glazed it with a glaze made with real maple syrup and brown sugar, rosemary, and a little Dijon mustard. I injected some of the glaze several places in the meat, and put it back in the oven for another 1/2 hour to an internal temperature of 152. It got to after cook for about 20 minutes that probably coasted up to 155. I cut the big chunks away from the bone per your wonderful instructions and sliced it in thin slices. So much easier to do it this way. Everyone liked it, some of whom had never experience eating a country ham before. One lady guest who usually doesn't each much had seconds so that says something positive. We had a 14.26 pound ham, so lots of it went home with our guests. The bone becomes split pea soup in a few days. Thanks for a wonderfully instructional video. I don't know that I'm an expert yet, but certainly using the information from your video resulted in a profound improvement over the previous attempt.
Thank you both! Great info. I grew up just slicing it into chunks straight out of the bag (no soaking or baking), then pan frying it (iron skillet) a serving at a time. We just cut the skin and mold off before frying. Took the bone (inner part) and boiled it down for potato soup and/or beans. Adding water to the frying pan and covering it with a lid is a good option. As for he 'red-eye', here in North Carolina, I was taught to take a strong cup of black coffee, pour it into the pan with the drippings once the meat is on the plate while the pan is hot. Pour this into a bowl and cover the grits or whatever with it. Yummy. As you said, perfect to leave out on the table with some homemade biscuits.
@reneesouther6076 if the ham was previously cured such as a ham bought from kroger then no. The reason is the ham will have issue absorbing the salt brine cure. It needs to be a fresh uncured (green) ham.
Wrong end of the hog. The ham is closer to the tooter, not the rooter. The shoulder is just behind the head, even though they are called pork butts. The shoulder can be cured.
Growing up in central and southern Virginia we had country ham often. At Christmas we always had sweet ham, a country ham, and a Turkey.. Mom would soak the ham for 8 to 12 hours, changing the water every two to three hours. If the weather was cold enough, no ice is needed while soaking, just use a large plastic storage container with lid. This would be in the garage or screen in porch during the soaking process.
Lol, Southern Country ham not just a Kentucky thing. Here in Missouri I'll do 2 hams a year. Figure I'll ask your take on a different cooking method- original wash- put the ham in a clean dishwasher, run a couple of cycles - that usually takes care of most of the mold. To cook, ypu put in a 5 gallon stock pot, or a lard can (if you have one, hard to find these days). Place ham in pot , fill with boiling water. Cover and wrap all sides with blankets, old quilts, sleeping bags, etc. For 3 days change out the water every 12 hours. After 3 days, tske ham out and bake for 2-3 hrs
Can you use the skin for frying pork cracklins? Would love to if possible. Just received my first country ham, and will follow your instructions and method in this video. Thank you very much!
Why did she stand there and listen to you say a solution of 10% vinegar to water should be used to scrub the ham; then go over to the sink and scrub the ham under running cold water?
He said you “can” not “must”. And he concurred just take to the sink and scrub when she took off to prep it. Garden hose and steel table was our “prep” kitchen on the farm
My grandma used to take a country ham and cook it with cabbage. A whole ham sliced and layered with cabbage between each slice. She used various spices and herbs with it but it was a tradition to have and we all looked forward to it.
Great job on this video. You should talk to Iowa State's Animal Science Department. I'm a former Berkshire producer up here in North Central Iowa. Thank you for the tips and promotion. I'm also an ISU graduate.
no because it was cured differently. Prosciutto is cured longer than country ham. Pink salt #2 is used to make serrano and prosciutto. You probably could eat it but it would not taste the same.
Around 500-600 lbs.+ for a green ham. To get a cured ham that big would require a 1000+ pound hog! About the biggest cured ham I ever personally saw was 48lbs from a hog weighing just over 500lbs.
Do you have a retained heat recipe! ((haybox, mushroom cooker) in my Appalachian family used quilts, sleeping bags and a late pity on top of the stove! Cloves orange, apple, sweet molasses.
You can soak it but country ham is salty. If you don't want salty ham, baked ham would be best I guess. I grew up with it so I never thought anything about it. Country ham is a delicacy! 😋
