HAM!
Did I get your attention? I've been thinking about ham. I've never thought much about ham before. Growing up, at holidays my grandma would always have a turkey and ham. A regular, wet-cured ham. I never liked the ham and would always eat the turkey instead. My dad made a kind of shit-on-a-shingle dish with the leftovers. It had a cream sauce, cubes of ham, cubes of egg and black olives. On toast. I liked that OK.
I started to reconsider ham because the new Saveur has an article called "ham for the holidays". It talks about how America's dry-cured Virginia hams mirror Euro hams such as proscuitto in some ways. I've never had a real Virginia ham. I headed to Corti Bros. and the only Virginia-style ham they have is Boars Head brand, and I don't like Boars head stuff. Does anybody know where you can get a real Virginia ham?
At Cortis I settled for speck, which is dry-cured and smoked ham from northern Italy. I also got some Serrano ham, which is pictured. The serrano was more funky tasting. I loved both of them, especially the speck.
I made sweet potato biscuits to eat with the ham. The recipe was kind of bullshit. I knew it was sketchy when it directed me to cook the biscuits in one, 9 inch cake pan, yet it said it yielded over 20 biscuits? How would that be possible?
Anyway, yeah, ham. What do you think?And just to bring up politics for a sec, did you read about how a bunch of local business leaders banded together to draft a letter to save Ray Kerridge's ass? The local steel magnate loves his pro-developer policies so much that he's sweating the fact that he may get pressured out.
I don't like ham - sliced ham or a ham dinner. Do like proscuitto. Don't like bacon (I usually get a lot of grief over that one). Do like pork, but don't like pork chops. Love carnitas.
ReplyDeleteI feel very confused when it comes to pig.
DUDE. I have been OBSESSING over buying a country ham for a year. It's $100. I will buy the ham if you are interested in having a joint hamstravaganza with me. We can blog the shit out of it.
ReplyDeleteLast semester I wrote an epic ham term paper, but I had to concentrate on Mediterranean hams.
SMITHFIELDS COUNTRY HAM is where it's at. Aged 1 year at least, so it's nice and moldy. James Beard's favorite. But the Edwards Ham that was mentioned in the Saveur article is also tempting. But I think better to start with the original.
I think I would be into splitting a ham. Have to wait a little after the holidays so I would be able to afford it.
ReplyDeleteProscuitto is ham, right? So you do like ham!
If anyone's interested in spreading some ham, let me know.
ReplyDelete-miller
ps - only ed will find this funny.
Does ham only apply to the domestic pig, or all swine?
ReplyDeleteAt any rate I am seriously considering a trip to the Fatted Calf this weekend just to pick up some Wild Boar Salame, which I tasted at last year's Whole Hog dinner. This stuff literally tastes like THE FOREST. It's crazy good.
From their website:
Tuscan-style boar salame seasoned with juniper, bay, garlic and red wine
Made with wild boar, pastured pork, organic garlic, red wine, spices, sea salt and curing salt
If you go, get some extra for me and I'll pay you for it! Like a third of a pound.
ReplyDeletefrom wikipedia:
Ham is the thigh and rump of pork, cut from the haunch of a pig or boar. Although it may be cooked and served fresh, most ham is cured in some fashion.
"Does ham only apply to the domestic pig, or all swine?"
ReplyDeleteIs this a joke and at my expense? Is so, madam, I bid you good day!
Charles
Will do! I'm already making my grocery list off their website. Duck broth? Yes, please!
ReplyDeleteSmithfield is good stuff! I love how in the rural areas of Virginia, W. Virginia, Kentucky that I've been to, everybody has a small outhouse looking thing that is in reality a smokehouse for making their own country ham. I know it takes a long time, and that certainly it must be an art, but dude... if the hillbillys can do it, why can't somebody in California do it? I wish it were more widely available. It is so good. Red eye gravy, country ham and grits! ahh.
ReplyDeleteec
I love this ham post. When I was down in Merced over Thanksgiving I had the most delicious ham I've ever tasted. My brother (the one that looks like Bruce Willis not the one with the hillbilly moustache) deep pitted a ham that he had rubbed and stuffed and soaked in pineapple juice and brown sugar. Mike R. Mike declared "fuck the turkey, next year I'm doing a ham." I think the secret was the deep pitting though. Also I have been having really spot hitting Virginia ham (not the real kind, just from the Raley's deli) and cheddar cheese sandwiches for lunch every day. I'm ham crazy.
ReplyDelete-H Conway Esq. (the H is for ham)
I love how in the rural areas of Virginia, W. Virginia, Kentucky that I've been to, everybody has a small outhouse looking thing that is in reality a smokehouse for making their own country ham.
ReplyDeleteA late cousin of mine lived across the county road from the regional smokehouse. Not only did her house always smell like smoked ham, but there were frequently Christmas deliveries to us that she arranged.
Bledsoe's hams are excellent, but aren't aged like the Southern ones. I've got one in my freezer right now. Fresh hams are good too, just different. You can brine them in pop--either Coke, Dr. Pepper or root beer--then roast them. Unreal.
ReplyDeleteWe got some deer salami up at Swingle's butcher in Jackson. I didn't see if they had boar, but that place is worth the drive too.
My grandpa had a smokehouse. It was for fish though. I miss that smell.
ReplyDeleteAnd if we are voting, I prefer the brother with the hillbilly moustache.
gbomb, who was called "hamjuice" by smiller for an entire weekend in 2008.
I grew up eating Smithfield hams at every holiday dinner, loved them but then went 25 years without having any. A few years ago I had my mom send me one from Virginia and was taken aback by just how salty it was. My tastes have changed I guess because I couldn't really enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteyou have a brother that looks like bruce willis? i thought the one with the moustache was fine so i can't imagine how fine the other brother must be!
ReplyDeletewait, i must have seen that brother at your wedding and don't remember him. does he smirk like willis? no one can throw a smirk like willis can.
ReplyDeleteShoot, I had a whole comment all typed out about how Bledsoe has these awesome mini-hams and also Canadian bacon and how I generally prefer the dry- and raw-cured hams. But it disappeared, I believe. Anyway, I also said that if you are looking for anyone else to go in on the Smithfield ham, I would love to do that. I will make buttermilk biscuits to go with!
ReplyDelete3 way ham split! sounds like a plan.
ReplyDelete