SC - Ham and a suggestion for Ras at the end

[Alderton, Philippa]

Cousin Phillipa skrev:

>> 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...)

And Adamantius replied:

>Scouring a ham is usually done with a stiff brush, and it removes dirt,
>some excess salt, and opens pores in the skin of the ham to facilitate
>salt transport for further soaking and parboiling.

Let me add here, too, dear cousin, that some hams, like my beloved
Smithfield, are aged so long that they'll grow mold on them, just as an aged
cheese will. This mold is not particularly harmful, but it isn't very tasty,
so removing it is a good idea.

A Smithfield ham is supposed to be salted well, then smoked over a fire of
corn cobs, then aged for a year before use. It is also only allowed to be
called a Smithfield if it is made in Smithfield, Virginia- any ham like it
must use the term "Smithfield-like" or just "Virginia" ham. The last time I
bought one, in Virginia, it was about $70- this is actually a pretty
reasonable price for an excellent piece of meat.

Traditionally, what you do with them, is cut off pieces as you need them,
and clean and parboil the pieces as necessary, while storing the rest of the
ham in a cool, dark, dry pantry, not a refrigerator. There is nothing you
can do to hurt a properly cured Smithfield or Smithfield-style ham, short of
dropping a nuclear bomb on one, or letting it get, and stay, wet. The
coolness and the darkness simply help them retain their wonderful flavor.

I've told the story before, but some of you may not have heard it, so I'll
repeat it. Several years ago, I bought a Smithfield ham, and had it stored
hanging from a hook in the bedroom, that being my best option for a cool,
dark, dry place. A couple years later I went to get it to take to Pennsic,
and I couldn't find it, so I asked my ex where it was. He said, "Oh, it was
getting old, so it wasn't any good so I threw it out." You may now know why
he's my ex.

Adamantius also skrev:

>That sounds like an excellent idea. One of the more fun things to do
>around 3-4 AM in New York is to go down to the Fulton Fish Market for a
>tour, which can be arranged, most easily for food-service types, with
>any of several vendors. Some of them will even sell retail if you're as
>cute as I am. And if you're not, _many_ of them will.

So, A, if and when I finally manage to make it up to visit, I take it that
that's one thing we'll be doing? ;-)

Phlip

Nolo disputare, volo somniare et contendere, et iterum somniare.

phlip at morganco.net

Philippa Farrour
Caer Frig
Southeastern Ohio

"All things are poisons.  It is simply the dose that distinguishes between a
poison and a remedy." -Paracelsus

"Oats -- a grain which in England sustains the horses, and in
Scotland, the men." -- Johnson

"It was pleasant to me to find that 'oats,' the 'food of horses,' were
so much used as the food of the people in Johnson's own town." --
Boswell

"And where will you find such horses, and such men?" -- Anonymous