Best Country Ham Recipes

COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Unwrap ham and scrub off any surface mold (if you hung in a sack for 6 months you'd have mold too). Carefully remove hock with hand saw. (If this idea makes you eye your first aid kit, ask your butcher to do it. But make sure you keep the hock, it's the best friend collard greens ever had.)
• Place ham in cooler and cover with clean water. (As long as it's not too dirty you can use what southerners call the "hose pipe"). Stash the cooler in the bushes. If it's summer, throw in some ice. If it's freezing out, keep the cooler inside. Change the water twice a day for two days turning the ham each time.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place ham in a large disposable turkey-roasting pan and add enough Dr. Pepper to come about halfway up the side of the ham. Add pickle juice if you've got it and tent completely with heavy-duty foil. Cook for 1/2 hour then reduce heat to 325 degrees F, and cook another 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn the ham over, insert an oven safe thermometer (probe-style is best) and cook another 1 1/2 hours, or until the deepest part of the ham hits 140 degrees F (approximately 15 to 20 minutes per pound total).
• Let rest 1/2 hour then slice paper-thin. Serve with biscuits or soft yeast rolls.
• Cooks note: Even after soaking, country ham is quite salty, so thin slicing is mandatory. If you're a bacon fan, however, cut a thicker (1/4-inch) slice and fry it up for breakfast.

COUNTRY GREEN BEANS AND HAM

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, with a lid, over medium heat, add the oil. Season the ham with black pepper. Add the ham and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the reserved ham and beans back to the pan. Cover the beans completely with water. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, partially cover and cook for 2 hours. Remove from the heat and reseason if necessary

COUNTRY HAM SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and garlic powder. Spread over two slices of bread. Layer each with cheese, tomato, ham and lettuce. Top with remaining bread.

COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Set ham into the prepared roasting pan and pierce several times with a fork.
• Stir brown sugar, peach preserves, and mustard together in a bowl; spread over the ham. Cover the ham with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• Roast ham in preheated oven, basting regularly, for 90 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil cover and continue baking until hot in the center, 30 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).

GRITS, COUNTRY HAM AND RED-EYE GRAVY

Steps:

• For the grits, bring the water and milk to a boil in a pan, whisk in the grits, and then reduce the heat and cook for an hour. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• For the poached eggs, bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer and add salt and vinegar. Using a spoon, swirl the water in a circle and crack the eggs into the center of the water. Simmer for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• For the gravy, to a pre-heated skillet, add a slice of ham and warm it through. Then remove the ham to a plate. Into the same skillet add the coffee and pork stock and reduce.
• To a bowl or plate add a serving of grits, the ham, a poached egg and sprinkle with chives. Drizzle the red-eye gravy over the grits and serve.

BAKED COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• The afternoon before you plan to serve the ham, fill a very large kettle or pot or your sink with water. Soak ham 4 to 8 hours to lose some of the saltiness; change the water 2 or 3 times, if possible. Rinse well, and scrape off any mold or green rind.
• Wrap ham well in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet. At 7 p.m. the night before you plan to serve the ham, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the wrapped ham in a large roasting pan filled with 1 inch of water, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, but do not open the door. At 10 P.M., turn the oven back on to 500 degrees. Bake the ham for 15 minutes more. Turn off the oven, but do not open the door. Leave the ham in the closed oven overnight.
• Remove ham from the oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Using a very sharp knife, trim the rind and all the fat from the ham. Serve the ham warm or at room temperature; cut with a ham-slicing knife into very thin slivers.

STEWED BLACK-EYED PEAS WITH COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• In a medium stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and country ham. Add the black-eyed peas, chicken stock, and 1 cup cold water. Bring the liquid up to a boil, partially cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the peas for about 25 minutes, uncover and cook an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the peas are tender. Season the peas with salt and pepper as needed.

HOW TO COOK A COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Scrub ham thoroughly with a stiff brush.
• Place ham in large pot or pan--even a cooler will work. Cover it completely with water and allow to soak for 24 hours, (discard water).
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Put ham in large roaster fat side up and again cover completely with water. place in oven on lowest shelf and bake for 2 hours. Turn ham to other side and cook another 2 hours. It takes 4 to 41/2 hours in all or 15 to 18 minutes per pound for a good tender ham.
• Remove ham from oven, but leave in water overnight (do NOT refrigerate).
• The next day preheat oven to 425°F.
• Remove and discard ham skin. Sprinkle fat with ground cloves.
• Combine sugar with enough vinegar to make a paste and brush on ham. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes; let rest for 1 hour out of the oven, then slice and serve.

CHEESY COUNTRY HAM DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the ham slices on a microwave-safe dish lined with paper towels. Cover the ham with a damp paper towel and microwave on low heat until the ham is slightly crisp on the edges and the fat is absorbed in the paper towels, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove the ham from the microwave and discard the paper towels. Using two forks, shred the ham into small bite-size pieces. Place the ham into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the cream cheese, Cheddar, sour cream, garlic powder, shallot and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Spread the ham and cheese mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the pecans, butter and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the seasoned pecans over the ham and cheese dip.
• Bake the dip until hot and bubbly around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with butter crackers, corn tortilla and celery.

HEARTY COUNTRY HAM AND CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add onion and fry until soft, about 5 minutes. Add country ham and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken stock and potatoes; make sure potatoes are completely covered by the stock. Throw in thyme sprigs and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Add cabbage and mix well; the liquid no longer needs to cover the cabbage-potato mix. Bring back to a boil.
• Cover and reduce heat; simmer until the thickest parts of the cabbage are softened, 5 to 10 more minutes. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Mix water and cornstarch in a small bowl and add slowly to the soup. Mix well and cook until soup is about the consistency of heavy cream or desired thickness; it should not be too thick. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes before serving.

COUNTRY HAM WITH REDEYE GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high. Cook ham, adding 1/2 Tbsp. butter if ham is lean to help the browning process, until browned and fat has rendered, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer ham to a platter.
• Pour coffee into the same skillet and cook over medium-high heat, scraping skillet with a wooden spoon to deglaze and loosen any browned bits. Add broth and sugar; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. butter and whisk until emulsified, about 1 minute more. Pour gravy into a small bowl or serving vessel and serve drizzled over or alongside ham.

COUNTRY HAM BISCUITS AND SCALLION-PIMENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat.
• For the scallion-pimento cheese: Stir together the cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise and scallions in a large bowl. Set aside, or if making ahead, place in the fridge until ready to use.
• For the country ham biscuits: Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 table knives, cut the cold butter cubes into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Use a fork to stir in the buttermilk to make a soft dough that comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl (make sure all the flour is worked in). Stir in the ham. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead 3 or 4 times until smooth and manageable.
• With your hands or a floured rolling pin, flatten the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut the dough out with a 2-inch floured biscuit cutter.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in it. Place the biscuits in the skillet. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
• To serve: Split the biscuits and serve with a generous spread of pimento cheese.

COUNTRY HAM BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Butter a large baking dish and evenly spread out the torn bread to cover the bottom of the dish.
• In a large bowl, beat to combine the heavy cream, cheese, ham, milk, scallions, salt, pepper and eggs. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and top with the paprika. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Uncover the dish and bake until puffed, golden and cooked through, about 45 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, sprinkle with the chives and serve.

SMOKED HAM WITH SWEET COUNTRY MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk sugar and vinegar in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Whisk in mustards. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate sauce 1 day. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Serve ham with sauce.

COUNTRY HAM ON BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Make buttermilk biscuits: mix flours, baking powder and soda, salt, and pepper in mixing bowl. Cut 6 T. butter into small pieces and add to flour mixture. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles fine meal. Melt remaining 4 T. butter and set aside. Make well in flour mixture, pour in buttermilk, and gradually work flour into buttermilk using fork.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll or pat evenly 1/2-inch thick. Using 2-1/2" biscuit cutter or rim of glass, cut out 12 biscuits. Brush both sides with melted butter and place on ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet at least 5 minutes before splitting.
• Split warm biscuits in half. Spread bottom half with mustard and top with butter. Place 2 slices ham on each bottom half and cover with top. Serve warm.

COUNTRY HAM BISCUITS

Steps:

• Bake biscuits in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.
• Cut ham into pieces to fit size of biscuits.
• Place ham pieces in a skillet and boil in a small amount of water for one minute to allow salt to escape. Pour off water to drain.
• Split biscuit and insert ham pieces.
• Dijon mustard may be spread inside of biscuits - optional feature.
• Enjoy!

COUNTRY HAM CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the spaghetti in the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions, about 8 minutes.
• Add the ham to the pan with the onions and garlic and cook until just warmed through, about 2 minutes. Whisk together the Parmesan, cream, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and some pepper in a bowl.
• Drain the pasta and transfer to the saucepan with the onion mixture and toss well. Immediately stir in the egg and cheese mixture until well combined. Serve immediately.
• Adjust the oven racks to accommodate a large covered roasting pan. Fit the pan with a shallow rack. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Unwrap the ham and rinse it in cold water. Place it on the rack in the roasting pan. Cover the pan with the lid and bake for half the estimated cooking time (total cooking time is about 20 minutes per pound, so 6 hours to 6 hours 40 minutes total).
• Halfway through the estimated cooking time, add the sugar and honey to a saucepan, cooking over medium heat until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the ham and continue baking the ham, basting occasionally with the drippings in the roaster. Check for doneness at the end of the estimated cooking time by inserting a meat thermometer at a meaty point (not into fat or touching the bone). It should register 160 degrees F.

COUNTRY-BAKED HAM WITH BOURBON MOLASSES GLAZE

Steps:

• Remove skin from ham, leaving 1/4 to 1/2-inch of fat on ham. Score the fat into diamond shapes and insert cloves in a decorative manner. In a saucepan, bring bourbon, molasses, and peppercorns to a simmer, to cook off the alcohol -- be careful, the alcohol will flame a little. Allow to cool. Put ham on a rack in a baking pan, add 1-inch of water, baste with the glaze and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Depending on weight of the ham, the time will vary. It will take approximately 20 minutes per pound. Bake for 3 hours covered and last 1/2 hour uncovered, basting every 20 minutes with glaze.

COUNTRY HAM SPREAD

Steps:

• Place ham, cream cheese, pecans and mustard in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
• Or, stir all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
• Best if allowed to sit for a few hours for flavors to blend.

SCALLOPED POTATOES AND COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch flameproof baking dish with cooking spray.
• In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and saute until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and stir until combined. Cook 1 to 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, the cayenne and mustard powder. Whisk in the milk. Allow to cook and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Line the baking dish with a crisscrossed layer of country ham, then a layer of slightly overlapping potatoes, then about 2/3 cup sauce. Repeat the layering until all the ingredients are used. You should have a total of 3 sets of layers, ending with the sauce on top. Top with the Gruyere and cover with foil. Bake until the potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove the foil and spoon off any fat that has pooled in the baking dish, if needed. Switch the oven to broil and broil until light golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with green onions before serving.