Cooking a traditional country ham

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - It sounds so simple in the story of my country ham journey.

"I cooked the ham the traditional way, soaking it in water overnight and simmering it in a big pot all day. Then I cut away the skin, scored the fat and baked it until it was sizzling."

The reality wasn't so simple. Cooking that ham involved a late-night emergency run to a Wal-Mart for a bigger pot. I had to borrow a tape measure in the fabric department to check every pot until I found one that was wide enough.

Then, after the ham had simmered all day, it was too heavy to lift from the pot. It took two men _ my husband and photographer Gary O'Brien _ and my biggest meat forks to heft it to a cutting board.

As ham curer Byron Jordan is fond of saying, "A pig isn't a 2-by-4." Every one is different, and this ham was very different. It came from an old-breed pig called a Tamworth. In the final month of its life, it grew quickly, yielding a 37-pound haunch. By the time I cooked it, it was still 22 pounds of ham.

Try fitting that in your refrigerator the weekend before Thanksgiving.

The reason I went to the trouble was to find out whether a ham from an old breed pig would yield a country ham that was different from the other hams.

I can't say that it was. But it wasn't a fair test. Our ham cured only eight months before I cooked it. Most hams Jordan cures are smaller and hang longer. The ones that hung with mine won't be sold until next fall.

A country ham can age for a very long time, even for decades. Remember, hams were cured to begin with so people could keep meat in the days before refrigeration.

Aged ham gets drier and saltier, but it also develops flavor notes and a mellow richness. It's like the difference between a young wine and an aged wine.

The Jordans' customers generally don't like very dry, very salty ham. What they want is the taste of the ham they know, a little salty and a little chewy, but not overwhelming.

The traditional way of preparing a country ham makes it less salty. It's also easier to cut. Otherwise, trimming an uncooked ham takes a meat saw. There used to be stores that would do it for a small fee, but those are getting harder to find.

If you do buy a whole country ham, it probably will be only be 15 to 18 pounds. The traditional cooking method, shared here, will solve a lot of problems.

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OVEN-BAKED COUNTRY HAM

Adapted from "The Country Ham Book," by Jeanne Voltz and Elaine J. Harvell (UNC Press, 1999).

1 whole bone-in country ham, 13 to 18 pounds

Cooking liquid: Water, or a combination of water and apple juice

Whole cloves (optional)

Brown sugar or molasses (optional)

START a day before serving. Remove the ham from all wrappings. Place in a clean sink and scrub off the mold with a clean scrub brush under cold running water. (You can use warm water, but it will make the fat soft and harder to scrub. Cold water is fine.)

PLACE in a pot deep enough to hold it and cover with cold water. Let stand overnight or up to 12 hours. (This is optional, to remove some of the salt. If you like a salty ham, don't soak it.)

DRAIN the water and set the ham aside. Refill the pot with clean water or water and juice and place on the stove. Bring to a boil, or until plenty of steam is rolling off the surface. Carefully lower the ham into the water until it is completely covered. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat until barely simmering. Simmer 3 to 5 hours, or about 25 minutes per pound, adding hot water as needed to keep the ham covered.

REMOVE from heat and let the ham stand in the liquid until cool enough to handle. Remove the ham and discard the broth unless you're using it in another dish, such as soup. (It may be very salty, so taste it before you use it.) Place the ham on a steady work surface. Use a sharp knife to cut away and discard the skin, exposing the fat. Trim the fat if you prefer, then score it in a diamond pattern. Place a whole clove in each diamond if using. Sprinkle with brown sugar or brush with molasses if you prefer.

PLACE in a heavy roasting pan and put in a 350-degree oven until browned, about 30 to 45 minutes. Cool and carve. Leftovers can be refrigerated several days, or frozen for a few months.Fried Country Ham With Red-Eye Gravy

Adapted from "The Country Ham Book." If you have center-cut slices, don't overcook them or they'll toughen. Soaking is optional, but this is how I do it.

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CENTER-CUT SLICES OF BONE-IN HAM

About 2 cups cola or water

SEPARATE the slices if they're stacked and place in a wide dish or pan, like a pie pan. Cover with cola or water. Let stand about 15 minutes.

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DRAIN , discarding soaking liquid, then pat the slices dry with paper towels.

HEAT a heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium heat. If the fat has been trimmed closely, film the skillet with a little vegetable oil if you prefer. Place the ham slices in a single layer in the skillet. Cook about 2 minutes per side for thin slices, up to 5 minutes per side for thicker slices. Don't overcook.

REMOVE from skillet and place on a serving platter.

POUR ˝ cup hot water or hot coffee (or a combination) into the hot skillet. Stir, scraping up any browned bits, and return to a boil. Cook a minute or two, then either pour over the ham slices or serve on the side to ladle over ham, grits or biscuits.

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© 2008, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.).