Country Ham - tips

[ElmerFudd]

anyone out there want to swap some tips?

I always soak for a day in salt and water as a brine

I always pour a mixture of cloves, ginger ale, coke and vinegar while it cooks

I always pull the skin w/ one hour to cook and then saturate in brown sugar, pinapple bits and pinapple juice and coke

cooking temperature varies between 300 and 325 and weight of ham

[C.L.Button]

Elmer, not tryin to be smart but WHY do you brine (cook) a Ham that is already cooked from the Salt (curing) process ? Then you cook it a 3rd time (in the ginger ale, coke sauce) ? I saw that you make up a sweet liquid mixture & and sweet glaze for it. What you do sounds great, I'm just trying to understand what the brine process does for an already cured Ham ? THANKS. ;)

[ElmerFudd]

Elmer, not tryin to be smart but WHY do you brine (cook) a Ham that is already cooked from the Salt (curing) process ? Then you cook it a 3rd time (in the ginger ale, coke sauce) ? I saw that you make up a sweet liquid mixture & and sweet glaze for it. What you do sounds great, I'm just trying to understand what the brine process does for an already cured Ham ? THANKS. ;)

Scratch the salt your right meant only water, and cool water at that. This actually is a reverse brine process that extracts the salt from the ham. The salt curing as you mentioned is a "drying" method and not a "cooking" sequence.
The soaking of the ham is really a reverse brine. Then after scrubing the mold and excess extracted salt does the ham then go into the oven. It is only cooked once as the salt cure is only a drying process of the raw meat.

Many boil a country ham and then finish it in the oven. I've never tried this and wondered if anyone has had any success.

On another note, I brine all my poultry with 1 gallon water to 1 cup salt, water and equal parts brown sugar and it does wonders w/ quail among others, again refrigerated for a day. Here is an attachment on brine if any one is interested:
http://bbq.about.com/cs/barbecuetips/a/aa112000b.htm



thanks again!

[C.L.Button]

Ahhh I see. ;)

I soak my CH's for 3 days changing the water every 12 hrs. I scrape THEN I inject them with ? and slow smoke or oven roast for 50 minutes per pound. Last but not least I make a glaze and a dipping sauce. ;)

I NEVER boil meat no matter what flavor it is ! I also use little or no salt on meat. I rub poultry skin with Sea Salt but that's it. Salt just sucks the moisture out and leaves you craving water to flush it down with ! :(

That's my 3cts worth. ;)

[wcpickens]

Only 1 way to cook a country ham, fry it and put it in a bisquit. If it's not so salty that you have to take a bite and then a drink, it's not a good ham.

[wowsafari]

I'm with you WC. Good ole' country ham, a few biscuits and some gravy.

[C.L.Button]

Only 1 way to cook a country ham, fry it and put it in a bisquit. If it's not so salty that you have to take a bite and then a drink, it's not a good ham.

Yep, I bet your Cardiologist agree's ! :rolleyes:

Soak that Ham for 3 days, then fry it. ;)

[wcpickens]

They're making a special ham now for those that don't want the salt, it's called "sugar cured"

[C.L.Button]

They're making a special ham now for those that don't want the salt, it's called "sugar cured"

Read that label a little closer wc. That process has been around for a long time. If I remember correctly, it originated in Virginia. ;)

[wcpickens]

I know C L, that was a slur to those that don't like the salt on the coutry ham.

[C.L.Button]

I know C L, that was a slur to those that don't like the salt on the coutry ham.

OH OK :o sorry buddy,,, I take my groceries seriously. ;)

[turkeytalker]

Only 1 way to cook a country ham, fry it and put it in a bisquit. If it's not so salty that you have to take a bite and then a drink, it's not a good ham.


Probaly the best post i've ever read!!:D I agree 100%! We call that Virginia stuff "CITY HAM",cardiologist:confused::confused: whats that?Aint that one of those people who tell you that youre gonna die someday?

[wcpickens]

I would never go to a doctor that didn't like a a slice of good ol' salty coutry ham in a cathead bisquit anyway.

[bub901]

I'm sorry but I really gotta agree with the latter of the two replies.
If you don't drink a tall glass of water or ice tea or your favorite beverage while eating a "home cured" country ham, then you ain't eatin' country ham.
I love it any way I can get it.
To me the best is with a little brown sugar, course salt and black or red pepper, cured through the summer sweat and eatin' at Thanksgiving!