Hams are among those things we don’t eat enough of. They are lean (comparable even to chicken), inexpensive per pound and delicious. Since it’s just Nancy and me, the Brewer’s eat hams only every so often, but when we do, we wonder why we don’t serve them more frequently.
I suppose the determining factor in not serving ham is the sheer size. They can weigh 20 pounds and more, though they are also available in the smaller sizes of butt ends and shank ends. Still, even they can weigh 10 pounds and more, so if you cook a ham, you’re committed.
Recently, there has been a trend to spiral cut hams, mainly because they are easier to slice. But they tend to dry out easily and lack the flavor of a whole portion, so we avoid those totally.
We had a 12 pound, cured shank ham recently that was as good as it gets. The shank portion, the lower cut on a hind leg of a hog, is my favorite. It contains less fat, it’s sweeter, and only has one bone to deal with.
The upper cut is the butt end. It is meatier but has more fat than the shank end. It’s also tougher to carve because it has both the hip and pelvic bones to work around.
There is really nothing to cooking a ham, but it tastes better and is more moist if cooked at a lower temperature, about 325 degrees. Put about a quarter inch of water in the bottom of a roasting pan. I put my ham cut side down on a wire rack and drape the top with aluminum foil. Cook the ham for about 15 minutes per pound.
When the thermometer reaches 135, it’s ready to eat. Let it cool a bit before carving, and it’s an easier task.
We had ham for two meals and multiple sandwiches, but the piece de resistancewas a big pot of navy bean soup I made with the ham bone. I cooked it slowly all day, and it was delicious.
Nancy says she’s had enough ham to last her for a while, but as long as there is sliced ham in the fridge for sandwiches, I’m all in.
I suppose this article is a just a friendly reminder to consider ham more often when planning the family menu.
