Country Ham
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 22, 2013
Time
4½ to 5½ hours, plus 20 minutes resting
Yield
Serves 12 to 15
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Use hams aged six months or less for this recipe. Mold on country ham is not a sign of spoilage; it is a natural effect of the curing and aging process. Serve ham on biscuits with Jezebel Sauce (see related recipe). Leftover ham is delicious in scrambled eggs, cheese grits, macaroni and cheese, and all manner of things.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Using clean, stiff-bristled brush, scrub ham under cold running water to remove any surface mold. Transfer ham to cutting board and trim off dry meat, skin, and all but 1/4 inch of fat. Score fat cap in 1/2-inch crosshatch pattern, 1/4 inch deep.
- Transfer ham to roasting pan fat side up, add 1 quart water, and cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until thickest part of meat registers 140 degrees, 4 to 5 hours. Remove ham from oven, discard foil, and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
- Combine sugar, mustard, and pepper in bowl and rub over top of ham. Return ham to oven and cook, uncovered, until glazed, 12 to 17 minutes. Transfer ham to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve thin slices and serve.
Time
4½ to 5½ hours, plus 20 minutes restingYield
Serves 12 to 15Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Country ham is a dry-cured, (almost always) smoked, aged ham. Ages range from three months to two years. Hams less than 400 days old are generally cooked by the pervasive traditional method of soaking in water for a period of 12 to 48 hours to draw out the salt and moisten the meat, followed by a simmer in a large pot of fresh water. As we found out, this process is time-consuming, unwieldy, and unnecessary. The soaking did nothing to mitigate the salt content or introduce moisture to the ham. It turns out that cooking the ham in a low oven in a covered roasting pan with just a quart of water was sufficient to produce a juicy ham and reduce moisture loss. This eliminated the hassle of soaking, finding a pot the size of a bathtub, and sloshing boiling water all over the kitchen.
Before You Begin
Use hams aged six months or less for this recipe. Mold on country ham is not a sign of spoilage; it is a natural effect of the curing and aging process. Serve ham on biscuits with Jezebel Sauce (see related recipe). Leftover ham is delicious in scrambled eggs, cheese grits, macaroni and cheese, and all manner of things.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Using clean, stiff-bristled brush, scrub ham under cold running water to remove any surface mold. Transfer ham to cutting board and trim off dry meat, skin, and all but 1/4 inch of fat. Score fat cap in 1/2-inch crosshatch pattern, 1/4 inch deep.
- Transfer ham to roasting pan fat side up, add 1 quart water, and cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until thickest part of meat registers 140 degrees, 4 to 5 hours. Remove ham from oven, discard foil, and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
- Combine sugar, mustard, and pepper in bowl and rub over top of ham. Return ham to oven and cook, uncovered, until glazed, 12 to 17 minutes. Transfer ham to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve thin slices and serve.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Keep Exploring
0 Comments