SC - Stefan's variation of Ras' ham recipe

[Stefan li Rous]

Ras replied to my comments on using his ham recipe as a starting point: 
> BTW, I don't recall instructing a lowering of temperature and an additional 7
> hrs. of cooking when I posted my previous ham recipe. Is there a reason that
> you decided to allow this additional time? 

You didn't. However, you did say back on Nov. 29:
> Ideally? 225 deg F, covered, from midnight until the next morning. :-)
> Otherwise 350 until done. The time varies according to the size of the ham.
> 
> Ras

Since you recommend a long, slow bake that is what I did. However, after
six hours or so (7pm until 1am), I wanted to go to bed as I was beginning to
stumble at bit.  Since I really didn't want to get up in only a few more
hours, 
I thought that lessening the temperature would lessen the chance of
overcooking 
it.

> Also I usually serve my ham in
> thicker slices, halved or in chunks.  It is carved after a rest period,
> uncovered of at least 15 mins. 

I have only been carving off chunks as I want them. Not slicing the whole
ham at once. So it has definitely had that long a rest period. Basically
it is spliting along the natural lines in the meat. Perhaps where slices
of fat were that have now seeped away?

I've also been cutting it while it was still in the pot. If I were to
lift it out, the cutting might yield bigger slices, although I think
it would still want to split apart along the natural lines, but maybe
on the plate instead of while cutting it.

I haven't had to worry about the bones. They easily just pulled out
of the meat.

> Carving is done with a very sharp knife. But,
> in general, yes the texture is more like well-done meat (which is how it
> should be) instead of the lunchmeat texture normally found in store bought
> modern injected hams. It bears little or no resemblance to the modern
> atrocity which is typically called 'ham.'

Well, this started out as a "store-bought modern injected" ham. It doesn't
resemble what it started out as, now. Has more flavor, too.

- -- 
Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas           stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****
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