The Virtual Gourmand: Column No. 7C: Non-Turkey Talk: Three Alternatives to a Holiday Bird

November 05, 2007

Contributing Editor and CW Executive Chef Jason Clabaugh (BigO) demonstrates three alternatives to turkey in a multi-part Thanksgiving special. In this last of three articles in the series, he discusses the various types of hams and different ways of preparing them.

Ham is a year-round food in my house. Every six weeks or so, my family gets a craving for it and has to have one. As it turns out, ham, a relatively inexpensive and highly versatile cut of pork, represents an excellent value. Before beginning to talk about ways of preparing a ham, I want to discuss the relative merits of the many different varieties labeled as ham.

1. "Picnic ham". Also known as "pork picnic", "pork shoulder picnic", or "shoulder picnic". This isn't actually the back leg of the pig (what is usually called 'ham'), but rather the front shoulder of the pig, and is the same cut of meat that barbecue aficianados cook low and slow in a smoker to make pulled pork for sandwiches. A picnic ham has been salt-cured and smoked. Salt-curing involves drying the meat and then packing it in salt until the salt has permeated it. This is how our ancestors managed to slaughter hogs in the fall and still eat meat all year without refrigeration. Generally speaking, this sort of ham is so salty out of the package as to be practically inedible. In order to render it edible, one must boil it—often multiple times—to leech out the excess salt before the ham can be baked and, perhaps, glazed. This is the sort of ham I used to buy in college when the bank account got light at the end of the semester. It is certainly cheap, but honestly isn't very good.
2. "Country ham". This is a genuine ham, traditionally sold at holiday time and consumed in small amounts at family gatherings. Why in small amounts? Well, like the picnic ham, it has been salt-cured as well as smoked, and is incredibly salty. Other than coming from a different part of the pig, the only real difference between this and picnic ham is that country ham isn't generally boiled before being consumed. Instead, most people simply thin-slice and serve it with things like homemade biscuits.
3. "City ham". This is what we are used to calling a "ham". Instead of being salt-cured, the back legs of the pig are "sugar-cured"--immersed in a brine (salt and sugar) solution while a portion of the solution is injected into the main artery that runs through the leg to allow the brine to permeate all the way to the bone. The ham is then smoked, usually cut into portions, and packaged for retail sale. You can buy a whole ham, but it is far more common for it to be cut into several sections. The center portion is generally sliced into thick slices that are sold as "ham steaks". The portion closest to the top of the leg is sold as the "butt portion", while the end closest to the hoof is labeled as the "shank portion". Though all of these taste pretty much the same, they do differ in the amount of bone that is included, the price varying accordingly. Since the butt portion has more bone (and is more difficult to carve), it is generally seen as being less desirable than the straight-boned (and easier to carve) shank portion, and is less expensive. Sometimes, the main bone in the ham is removed during processing and the product is labeled as being "semi-boneless". Because ‘semi-boneless" hams are the easiest to carve (if you don't count spiral-sliced hams), they are priced higher than their bone-in counterparts.
4. "Boneless ham". This is more a ham product than a true ham. To make a boneless ham, bits and pieces of other hams must be chopped and pressed together to create a loaf form. My opinion on boneless ham is leave it to lunch meat.
5. "Fresh ham". Also known as "fresh picnic", this is a whole other creature, being an uncooked, uncured piece of meat that is often not really a ham at all. Instead of being cut from the back leg, a fresh ham, as generally sold in supermarkets, is actually the front leg of the pig with the shoulder left in place. The shoulder, if packaged separately, is usually called "Boston butt roast" or "pork shoulder roast", and will sometimes be sliced into ¾ inch slices to be sold under the name "pork steak", at a much higher price per pound than the whole cut.

Spiral-sliced hams have become quite popular in recent years as they are easy to carve. All that is needed is a single cut along the bone to release perfectly portioned and uniform slices. The general result is a much drier, less tasty product that even the best of glazes can't really make up for. A few chains sell these spiral-sliced hams as a trademark of their business. Your mileage may vary, but I avoid these hams entirely.

In purchasing a ham, about the only other factor that you need to concern yourself with is the amount of salt you like in it. Salt content varies from brand to brand, and lower sodium choices can be found within brand offerings. I personally prefer the lower sodium hams, but buy what you like.

Having reviewed the different types and cuts of ham, we can now examine different ways of preparing them. Ham generally comes to the consumer as a fully-cooked product. You can open most hams, cut off a slice and pop it in your mouth, and it will be no different than the leftovers you pull out of the fridge the day after you cook your ham. Still, most people prefer to eat their ham on the warm side, maybe even with a glaze, spice rub, or injection added before or during the re-heating process. Because the ham has already been cooked and is only being re-heated, you don't need to bring it up to the sort of high temperature you would if you were cooking a roast from scratch. 165 degrees is plenty warm for serving a ham.

I've eaten hams prepared in a wide variety of ways. Some have been injected with exotic juices and spices like a turkey or pork roast, some rubbed down with spices and smoked in a barbecue smoker until dark and deeply flavored with hickory, and others baked in an oven with any number of glazes to accentuate the flavor of the salty pork—usually with a glaze tasting of sweet and/or spicy notes. I can't say that I have a particular favorite. I pretty much like them all. That being said, I'm going to go over a few standard ways to treat a ham. I'll then give you several variations that you can mix and match to your personal tastes.

I'm not at all intimidated by carving a ham, so my preference is for the butt portion. This is the most economical of the different hams, and I like to use the leftover bone to make a number of recipes. The butt portion does have one potential Achilles' heel, though. The face of the ham can dry right out if you cook it on its side. I solve this problem by placing the ham in my baking dish face side down. The conical shape of the ham makes it almost self-basting if oriented in this way. And it is much easier to get an evenly distributed amount of glaze on the ham while it's in the oven.

Now that we have ham in pan, we have several options to choose from (including mixing and matching any of them to suit your tastes):

1. Injection. You can buy what looks to be an overgrown hypodermic needle, and can use store-bought marinades to add flavors to the interior of the ham. Many of the store-bought injectables come already packaged with an injector. So if you are new to this technique, you might want to start off with a store-bought variety, and save the experimention for future hams. In fact, Cajun Injector has a honey-praline ham kit that includes an injectable marinade, spice rub and glaze, with an injector thrown in for good measure. If you're completely new to the process, this could be the best way to start. The process is pretty straightforward. You simply plunge the needle into the meat at various places throughout the ham, inject part of the solution, and then inject some more as you pull the needle back towards the meat's surface.

You should try at least three different angles of attack for each stroke of the injector. The only caveat I would mention is to pour your injecting solution into a juice glass, before filling the injector, in order to avoid any potential contamination of the remaining solution from the injector itself. Here are some sample injecting solutions to try:

Sweet and savory injection

¼ C. apple juice
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. bourbon
¼ t. cinnamon
¼ t. garlic powder
1/8 t. ground cloves

Sweet and spicy injection

¼ C. apple juice
2 T. melted butter
2 T. honey
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. cayenne

Sweet and sour injection

1 C. apple cider
1/4 C. cider vinegar
1/4 C. water
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. honey

2. Spice rubs. Rubbing the ham down with spice rubs allows the flavorings to penetrate the outer edge of the meat, and is another popular way of preparing a ham. Similar to the sorts of spice rubs that are used by barbecuers to enhance the flavor of smoked beef or pork, a good rub can markedly improve a ham's taste. Once you've chosen your spice mixture and have rubbed the ham with it, cover the ham in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight (at least) before re-heating it.

Here are some sample spice mixtures to try:

Savory ham rub

1 C. brown sugar
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. onion powder
¼ t. freshly ground pepper

Hot and spicy ham rub

1 C. brown sugar
2 T. cayenne pepper
2 T. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. ground cloves

3. Glazes. Glazing a ham while it is re-heating is probably the most common way of adding flavor. Some people insist that scoring the outside of the ham (making parallel, diagonal cuts ¾ to ½ inch into the meat) allows a glaze to penetrate deeper into the meat. They may be right. But most of the scored hams I've eaten were also markedly drier in texture because those extra cuts let more juice escape during the re-heating process. Score if you like...I'll skip it myself. Generally, glazes have a sweet component married to either a savory or spicy component. A sweet flavor like apple, juxtaposed with a hot and spicy component, makes a great contrast to the saltiness of the ham itself. Likewise, a sweet component with a savory component (like cloves, cinnamon or sage) also delivers a complementary flavor to balance the salty ham. Here are some of my tried and true favorites:

Georgia Peach Glaze

1 C. peach preserves
2 T. stone-ground spicy mustard
3 t. balsamic vinegar
⅛ cup honey
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Apply glaze hot.

Maple and Brown Sugar Glaze

Spicy Apple Glaze

1 C. apple jelly
Tabasco sauce to taste.
Melt jelly in a small sauce pan. Add Tabasco sauce until desired spiciness is reached.

Soda Glaze

1 12 oz. Can of cola, Dr. Pepper, or root beer (not diet)
½ C. brown sugar
¼ t. ground cinnamon
⅞ t. ground cloves
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. At medium-high heat, bring to a boil and reduce by half. Apply glaze hot. If doubling recipe, do not double the amount of cloves.

Once you've settled upon your choice of flavor enhancements, the process of re-heating the ham is really simple. You'll want to insert your thermometer probe into the thickest part of the ham, about halfway up the ham and almost to the bone (not all the way to the bone or your temperature reading will not be accurate). Then place the ham in a pre-heated 225 degree oven and wait until the alarm (set to 165 degrees) sounds. If you have chosen a glazing option, only start the glazing process when the ham reaches about 145 degrees (roughly the last hour of re-heating). As with all roasts, you'll want to allow it to rest for 20 minutes or so to allow the juices inside the ham to re-distribute themselves evenly before carving.

Carving a ham isn't all that tricky, and you don't have to be too careful with the size of the pieces you carve from the bone. Lay the ham on its side with the meatiest portion facing up. Starting at the face of the ham, slice back along the bone until you reach the joint.

Cut down from the top of the ham to the joint, remove this large chunk, and slice it into slices on the carving board.

Rotate the ham two other times and repeat the procedure.

Serve these portions and, by all means, save the bone for later!

A ham is quite economical because, in addition to providing a great holiday feast, the leftovers are easy to use in a variety of dishes. Of course, I love a midnight ham and cheese sandwich as much as the next guy. But even after you've tired of those (and still have leftover ham), there are many ways to use the rest—and the bone can be used in many dishes as well.

One of my family's favorite leftover ham meals is a breakfast casserole. Hell, this one doesn't even have to be served for breakfast, as it is hearty and tasty the rest of the day too. You need about a half pound of ham that has been cut into quarter-inch cubes. Add a thawed bag of frozen hash brown potatoes, a diced medium onion, a half-brick of Velveeta cheese product that has also been cut into quarter-inch cubes, and a sauce consisting of a half-jar of Miracle Whip salad dressing and as much garlic powder and dry mustard as you like. Mix everything together and bake in a greased casserole dish at 350 degrees for about an hour, until the cheese is all melted and starting to brown on the sides and top.

The ham bone provides a lot of recipe options as well. Place the bone in a Dutch oven, cover it completely with water and boil it for about an hour. When it has cooled, pick the remaining meat off of the bone and return it to the stockpot. This ham stock can be easily frozen in a zipper bag for future use (don't forget to label and date it on the bag), or it can be turned into a number of hearty dishes. One of my family's favorite ways to use a ham bone is in a big pot of red beans and rice—a washday staple we loved when we lived in New Orleans and still enjoy today.

The night before you plan to make the dish, pour a bag of dried red kidney beans into a non-reactive bowl. Sort through the beans to remove any non-bean material (I've found tiny rocks in bags of dried beans before, so don't skip this important step). Cover the beans with two inches of water and let them stand overnight.

The next morning, chop:

1 C. onion ½ C. bell pepper ¼ C. celery

and sauté them in a small skillet with 2 T. olive oil. When the onions become translucent, add

1 T. chopped garlic

and sauté for another two minutes. Add the drained beans, the ham stock with ham bits and

¼ C. worcestershire sauce.

Set on medium-low heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer until the beans cook to the point of beginning to break apart and the sauce starts to thicken. If you run low on moisture, canned, low-sodium chicken stock can be added to the pot. Season with cayenne pepper to taste and serve with boiled or steamed white rice.

Contributing Editor and CW Executive Chef Jason Clabaugh (BigO) hailed from New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and has settled in a suburb of Atlanta. With the addition of a new baby to his family he's refocused his energies on fatherhood and a new project bringing his famous mango-habanero salsa and unique barbecue sauces into commercial production.