Ham
is a
versatile, often over-looked meat. You can purchase it in
many forms;
deli, pre-packaged, chopped, whole, half, bone-in, boneless
and canned. It is always fully cooked when
purchased, so it is a
snap to incorporate into any meal.
It
can be used for breakfast, brunch,
as a main dish, in pasta and rice dishes and in salads. The
flavor it
imparts is rich and deep, so a little goes a long way.
Also try
substituting ham for diced pork, bacon or sausage in a recipe.
Ham can be salty,
so just reduce or eliminate additional salt in the dish.
Ham Recipes
Baked Honey Ham
The ham will have a spicy sweet crust
2 cups honey
2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cloves
5 to 6 lb. bone-in ham, or 3-4 lb. boneless ham
Combine honey, brown sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until
throughly blended. Bake bone-in ham at 350 degrees F for 1
hour or until heated through. Baste occasionally
with the honey sauce. Place ham under broiler to
glaze top.
To cook boneless ham, slice half way through at 1/4-inch intervals,
then tie
with string. Place in roasting pan. Heat honey sauce and pour over ham
to
marinate for 24 hours before baking. Then bake at 350 degrees for 1
hour or
until heated through. Glaze top under broiler, if desired.
Also good on turkey ham
Rum and Pineapple Glazed Ham Recipe
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 14.5 oz can pineapple chunks, in natural juices
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup dark rum
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash salt
1 small boneless ham, about 3-4 pounds
Water
Drain
pineapple, reserving liquid. In a non-reactive sauce
pan melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and stir until
sugar begins to brown. Add pineapple and stir until pineapple
begins to turn brown. Add rum, reserved pineapple liquid,
lime juice, clove, nutmeg and salt. Simmer 2-3
minutes.
With a skewer or fork, poke the ham all over in 1-inch
intervals. Place in a shallow baking dish or small roasting
pan. Pour the pineapple mixture over the ham.
Add a little water to the pan to prevent pineapple from
burning. cook at 350º for about 30 minutes or until
ham is heated through and glazed.
Southern-Style Cola
Baked Ham
1 (10 to 12 pound) bone-in ham
Whole cloves
1 cup or more dark brown sugar
1-2 (12-ounce) can cola-flavored carbonated beverage (not diet)
1 (14-ounce) can pineapple rings, drained and the juice reserved
1 cup additional fruit juice such as pineapple or cranapple or water
10 to 12 maraschino cherries
Preheat oven to 325*F. Using a sharp knife score surface of
ham
crosswise and lengthwise, forming a crisscross pattern about 1/4-inch
deep and 1-inch apart.
Place ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan. Press enough brown
sugar onto the
surface of the ham to coat. Place 1 clove in the
center of each crisscross. With
toothpicks, place about 4 or 5 pineapple rings on the ham, between each
crisscross. Use toothpicks to place a cherry in the center of
each ring.
Pour the cola over ham, mixing with melted sugar in bottom of roasting
pan. Add the reserved pineapple juice and the additional
fruit juice or water to the pan.
Cover with foil. Bake about 16 minutes per
pound of ham, or
until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
Baste
with cola about every 30 minutes during cooking.
Remove
from oven and allow to stand for at least 15 minutes before
transferring to serving platter. Skim excess fat from pan
juices and serve with the ham.
Baked Ham
with Orange Sherry Sauce
Serves 12-16
12-pound meaty, bone-in smoked ham (12 to 13-pound)
1 1/2 cups medium-dry sherry or Madeira
2 large navel oranges
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Preheat the oven to 325º. Set the ham in a large roasting pan, fat side
up. Using a sharp knife, score the fat all over in a crosshatch
pattern. Pour 1 cup of the sherry over the ham and cover
tightly with foil. Bake the ham for about 3 1/2 hours, or until heated
through.
Uncover the ham and baste with the pan juices, then transfer to a large
platter. Pour the pan juices into a medium saucepan. Return the ham to
the roasting pan and raise the oven temperature to 375º.
Bake ham for about 20 minutes longer or until it is browned
and crisp, being careful not to burn (this is optional).
Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let rest for 15
minutes.
Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, peel the oranges; remove all the bitter
white pith. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, cut the oranges
between the membranes to release the sections; you should have 1/2 cup
of juice. Add the orange sections, orange juice and the remaining 1/2
cup of Madeira to the juices in the saucepan. Cover and simmer over low
heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the zest and keep warm.
Arrange ham slices on a platter and serve with the
orange sauce.
Fettuccine With Peas & Ham
Servings: 4-6
5 Tablespoon Unsalted butter
6 Green onions
8 Ounce Mushrooms sliced
1 1/4 Cup Whipping cream
1 10 Ounce Package frozen tiny peas
4 Ounce
Boiled ham, chopped
1 Cup Parmesan cheese
1 Pound Fettuccine cooked
Salt and pepper
.
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium head. Add shallots and
saute until soft. Add mushrooms, increase heat to high and cook until
mushrooms are very lightly browned.
Add cream and boil two minutes. Stir in peas and cook about 30 seconds.
Reduce heat to low; blend in ham cheese and fettuccine and toss until
heated, well combined and sauce clings to pasta. Season to
taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Here
is a low-fat favorite
Creamy Ham Ziti
Serves 4-6
1 Pound Ziti or Penne OR
other medium pasta shape, uncooked
1/2 Teaspoon olive oil
12 Ounce Lean, thick-sliced ham, cut into bite-size pieces
1 Red bell pepper; diced
1 Cup Non-fat or low-fat sour cream
10 Ounce Frozen spinach thawed and drained well
3/4 Cup Skim milk
1/4 Cup Dijon mustard
1/4 Cup Chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoon Minced fresh dill
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
3/4 Teaspoon Hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking,
warm the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the ham and red
pepper
and cook until browned. Meanwhile, blend the sour cream, spinach, milk,
mustard, parsley, dill, lemon juice and hot sauce in a food processor
or blender
until very smooth. Add the puree to the ham. Heat to a
simmer.
When pasta is done, drain it well. Toss pasta with sauce, season with
salt and pepper and serve. Add low-fat shredded cheese to
serve
if desired
This is an unusual salad
and a combination of sweet, sour and crunchy. Excellent on a
brunch menu. Would also be tasty with a sweet and
creamy-style dressing.
Sweet-Potato Salad with Ham and
Curried Almonds
Serves 4
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and
cut into 1/2-inch dice
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 pounds thickly-sliced smoked ham, diced
3 scallions including green tops, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar or red- or
white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 pound baby spinach or mixed salad greens
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes
and boil until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and
transfer to a large glass or stainless-steel bowl.
In a small frying pan, heat the 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat
until hot but not smoking. Add the almonds and curry powder and cook,
stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the nuts
to the bowl with the sweet potatoes. Add the ham and
scallions.
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk the vinegar, salt, and
pepper. Add the remaining 2/3 cup oil slowly, whisking. Toss half the
dressing into the sweet-potato mixture.
Toss the spinach with the remaining dressing. Put on plates
and top with the potato salad.
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HAM 101
Bone-in:
Has the entire bone intact. Available whole, butt end or shank.
Bone-in
ham generally has
a better taste and texture. The butt portion has more meat and less
bone and is more expensive; but the shank has the delicious ham bone
which can flavor everything from beans to greens
Boneless:
Entire bone is removed and ham is rolled or packed in a casing
Country ham:
Cold cured in salt and sugar and then aged
Smoked:
Ham is first cured then hung in a smokehouse to absorb wood flavor
Fresh ham:
Uncured, unsmoked pork leg
TO COOK OR NOT?
Even if the label says the ham is fully cooked, reheating it maximizes
the good flavor.
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