How to Cook a Country Ham
When cooking a Country ham, thoughts of grandma in the kitchen shuffling in her slippers as the curtains blow gently in the breeze, and the tantalizing kitchen aromas, will never escape my memory.
I have kept up with the tradition to this day. Anytime I bake a ham, I insist on opening the windows in my kitchen. You see my guests have always made comments about the flavor of my ham. I believe it's the seasonings added to water when I boil the ham that gives it this unusual touch. The coating of white pepper also adds a unique note. But I cannot forget grandma's secret dark brown mustard sauce she made ahead of time, which by the way, kept very well in the refrigerator for a long time.
This next recipe comes directly from grandma's cooking notes. I have been using this recipe for years. The things you will need are:
Ingredients for Grandma's Country Ham
- A Large Ham (With bone)
- White pepper
- Grandma's mustard (I will give you that recipe.)
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1 dozen whole cloves
- 6 allspice berries.
- 1 cup of sherry
- Box of brown sugar (I like using the dark brown sugar)
Wash and weigh your ham to make sure you know the baking time. Place the ham in a large roasting pan with a lid. Fill the pan with water, place lid on tight, and put it in the oven at 350 degrees. Cook for about 20 minutes per pound, turning the ham often. (Count the time after the water begins to boil, a tenderized ham will require only 15 minutes per pound for cooking.) When cooked, let the ham cool in the liquid. (You may boil this the day before.)
When cooked gently, remove the top skin, being careful not to take the fat off with it. Place the ham in another pan and stud at intervals with cloves. Sprinkle liberally with white pepper; then spread a layer of brown sugar all over the ham. Pour 1 cup of sherry into the pan and place the pan, without the lid, in a very-slow oven at 250 degrees, for 1 hour. The slow heat allows the spicy flavor of the pepper to penetrate the meat. After ½ hour, gently baste the ham with the gravy about every 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, cover, and keep hot on top of the stove on a very-low heat. Use mats under the pan. The oven should now be free to prepare the rest of your dinner. Serve the ham with the mustard sauce, which may also be made the day before and refrigerated.
Mustard Sauce
Combine 2 teaspoons of dry mustard, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Place in the top of a double boiler. Add 3/4 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of heated vinegar, stirring as it cooks until it becomes a smooth creamy sauce. Then add 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
When thickened, lift the pan from the hot water immediately to prevent the curdling of the egg yolks. When you are ready to reheat, make sure the water doesn't boil under the sauce.
