Country Ham Relish Recipes

COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Unwrap ham and scrub off any surface mold (if you hung in a sack for 6 months you'd have mold too). Carefully remove hock with hand saw. (If this idea makes you eye your first aid kit, ask your butcher to do it. But make sure you keep the hock, it's the best friend collard greens ever had.)
• Place ham in cooler and cover with clean water. (As long as it's not too dirty you can use what southerners call the "hose pipe"). Stash the cooler in the bushes. If it's summer, throw in some ice. If it's freezing out, keep the cooler inside. Change the water twice a day for two days turning the ham each time.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place ham in a large disposable turkey-roasting pan and add enough Dr. Pepper to come about halfway up the side of the ham. Add pickle juice if you've got it and tent completely with heavy-duty foil. Cook for 1/2 hour then reduce heat to 325 degrees F, and cook another 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn the ham over, insert an oven safe thermometer (probe-style is best) and cook another 1 1/2 hours, or until the deepest part of the ham hits 140 degrees F (approximately 15 to 20 minutes per pound total).
• Let rest 1/2 hour then slice paper-thin. Serve with biscuits or soft yeast rolls.
• Cooks note: Even after soaking, country ham is quite salty, so thin slicing is mandatory. If you're a bacon fan, however, cut a thicker (1/4-inch) slice and fry it up for breakfast.

COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Set ham into the prepared roasting pan and pierce several times with a fork.
• Stir brown sugar, peach preserves, and mustard together in a bowl; spread over the ham. Cover the ham with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• Roast ham in preheated oven, basting regularly, for 90 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil cover and continue baking until hot in the center, 30 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).

HAM SPREAD

Steps:

• Cut up ham to put into food processor, grind on pulse until very coarse. Add the onion and dill pickle relish close to the end of this stage. Put into mixing bowl and add mustard and creamy salad dressing; mix well.

CONTEST-WINNING HOLIDAY GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of ham, making diamond shapes 1/2 in. deep; insert a clove in each diamond. Bake, uncovered, 1-1/2 hours., Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a small saucepan, combine pineapple juice, preserves, mustard and allspice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. , Spoon half of the glaze over ham. Secure pineapple slices and cherries on top and sides of ham with toothpicks., Bake 30-45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 140°, basting twice with remaining glaze.

HAM RELISH

Steps:

• Place the apple in a small saucepan with one tablespoon water.
• Cook over medium heat until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• In a large bowl, combine the ham and pepper relish ( "Red Pepper Relish" Recipe #239180 ).
• Stir in the apple and blend well.
• Cover and chill well before serving.

BOURBON-MARINATED PORK ROAST WITH COUNTRY HAM JUS

Steps:

• To marinate the pork roast, combine maple syrup, molasses, bourbon, chili sauce, and chili paste in a shallow dish and mix well. Brush the roast all over with the marinade and refrigerate it 8 hours or longer.
• Preheat 1 side of a grill to high heat.
• To cook, sear the roast all over on a hot grill. Once it browns, move the meat to a cooler spot. Lower the heat and continue to cook, covered, at a lower temperature, until it is done, about 11/2 to 2 hours, depending on its size -- the meat should register 150 to 155 degrees F in its thickest part.
• To serve, reheat the Country Ham Jus and divide it among serving plates. Place pork on plates and add a generous spoonful of Pawpaw Relish.
• For the country ham jus, combine the ham bones, 4 cups water, onion, celery, carrot, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper in a large stockpot. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours, or until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Strain out the solids. Combine with demi-glace in pot and cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Add salt, to taste. Refrigerate.
• Mix all the ingredients together.

CUCUMBER, ONION & PECAN RELISH WITH COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise, remove seeds and slice crosswise into small bite-size pieces (there should be about 4 cups).
• Toss lightly with the salt and let drain 20 minutes.
• Submerge in ice water for a minute and drain well.
• Place cucumbers and onion in stainless steel or glass bowl.
• In medium pot combine the water, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, garlic, and pepper pod; heat to boiling and cook for 3 minutes.
• Pour the hot mixture over the vegetables and cool to room temperature; cover and refrigerate until very cold.
• Just before serving, drain the cucumber mixture, discarding the garlic and chili.
• Chop the pecans and stir into vegetables with the parsley to make relish.
• Serve each slice of ham accompanied with relish.