SC - Ham and a suggestion for Ras at the end

[Seton1355 at aol.com]

I'm really intrigued with this topic.  Now, you gotta understand that I grew 
up in a strictly kosher home and live in a modified kosher home myself... so 
I have no clue when it comes to pig. Now, I want to ask some questions:

<<  (snip)  and that some Virginia hams, and others which used to require 
soaking, scouring, and parboiling, ...>>

How do you scour a ham and what are you trying to get rid of  (dirt?) The 
only thing that comes to mind is a Brillo pad. And why would you par-boil a 
ham if you were going to cook it in a dish anyway?  (In Judaism, one is 
supposed to par - broil livers before use and then you can cook them in any 
manner you wish.  This is done to get rid of  the blood)  Is there any 
connection like that in par boiling a ham?  (Probly not...)

>>>>The fact is, though, that if not soaked and parboiled properly, the 
older-style hams are almost impossibly salty for any kind of serious eating>>>
So in the middle ages were people just used to very salty ham or did they eat 
it only sparingly too.  AND  do you do this salt thing to all hams or just 
the bits that you are going to eat later?  Do / did people eat freshly killed 
pig.  AND, while we are on the subject  what is the difference between pork 
and ham?  (It's all treif to me!  :-)   )

>>>> and unless properly cooked, have a lot of rather tough connective tissue 
>>>

uh,,,, yuck!?  All this soaking and cooking softens up the connective tissue??
(I ask tentitively.)  My bubbie  (grandma) used to buy cheap cuts of meat  
(well we were poor) She used to cook them on the stove, kind of stewing them. 
 For hours ao a low heat.  When they were done, the meat would melt in your 
mouth.   (Oh boy do I miss her now... anyway...)  is this the same type of 
cooking you would do to a connective tissue ham?   ALSO, Those huge, net 
wrapped hams I see in the supermarket now for alot of money... are they full 
of connective tissue and salty?
(Not for the money they are asking for them... I hope)

And now a comment for Lord Ras...
At the next cooks guild meeting, I think we should meet at Wegmans 
(supermarket) and you can take me through the meat dept. and explain all the 
traif cuts to me... fish dept too!   :-)  (just a suggestion)

Well, thanks everybody.
Phillipa