Best Waldorf Stuffed Ham Recipes

STUFFED HAM, SOUTHERN MARYLAND STYLE

Steps:

• If corning the ham: Cut slits about 3 inches deep in a few places around the bone. Push salt into the incisions and, with a light hand, rub salt all over the surface of the ham. Reserve any remaining salt to rub into the ham as it corns, adding more if needed later in the process. Place the ham in a nonreactive pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place it in refrigerator for a week. Unwrap and turn it every couple of days, sprinkling with more reserved salt and pouring off any juice that collects each time. Rewrap. The day before you are going to stuff the ham, rinse off the salt and soak the ham overnight in cold water in the refrigerator.
• Make the stuffing: The goal is to chop all the vegetables so the pieces are small and relatively uniform in size. Begin by chopping the cabbage. A food processor with a shredding blade is helpful. Place the cabbage in a large pan or bowl. Remove large stems from the kale and other greens, if you are using them, and chop. (Tip: Freeze cleaned, whole kale leaves overnight in plastic bags, then break up the frozen leaves while still in the bag and add to the stuffing mixture.) Chop the yellow onions and scallions, and add them to the cabbage and kale.
• Mix the vegetables well and add the spices. Mix again. (Your hands will work best for this, but wear gloves if your skin is sensitive to pepper.) Taste the stuffing and adjust, adding more cayenne or red-pepper flakes for a more intense spiciness. Keep in mind that the long boiling time will soften the heat.
• Stuff the ham: Remove the bone, or have the butcher remove it for you. The ham should be almost butterflied. Add the bone to a pot large enough to hold the ham, fill with enough water to cover it and begin to heat the water to a boil.
• While the water heats, set the ham on a sheet pan and cut slits about 3 inches long and 2 inches deep in a few places to make pockets, being careful not to slice through the meat completely. The number of slits will depend on the size of the ham. The goal is an even distribution of stuffing. Pack the slits tightly with stuffing, and add stuffing to the center of the ham where the bone was. Close the ham and secure it with kitchen string.
• Prepare a large square of cheesecloth at least 3 layers thick. Spoon a layer of stuffing over the cheesecloth and set the ham on it. Pack more stuffing on the top and sides of the ham. Gather the corners of the cheesecloth to the top and twist tightly to form a compact package. Tie the top tightly with string.
• Lower the ham into boiling water, reduce heat to a simmer and add any juice that has collected from the stuffing. Skim any foam that rises. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• Turn off the heat and let the ham cool slightly in the water, about an hour. (Old-timers simply put the whole pot on the porch overnight if the weather was cool, or left it on the stove until completely cooled.) Drain the ham in a colander and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove the cheesecloth and string, and reserve any stuffing around the ham.
• To serve, slice the ham across the grain, so each slice contains stuffing and meat. Pile additional stuffing around the slices. The ham can be reheated, but more often it is served cold.

STUFFED HASSELBACK HAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes with 1 tablespoon butter each.
• Stir together the Parmesan, thyme leaves, 1/3 cup of the heavy cream, half of the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper in a medium bowl. Add the Yukon gold potatoes, toss to coat and spread evenly in one of the prepared baking dishes.
• Stir together the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the yams, toss to coat and spread evenly in the other prepared baking dish.
• Cover both baking dishes with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the potatoes and yams are tender when pierced with a fork, an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Stir together the cream cheese, Gruyere, nutmeg, remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream, remaining garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few cracks pepper in a medium bowl. Add the spinach and stir to combine and coat.
• Position the ham flat-side down on a cutting board with the fat cup facing up. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch-wide slices across the length of the ham about three-quarters of the way down through the ham.
• To assemble: Fill the space between the first 2 slices of ham with some of the creamed spinach, pressing to even out the filling. Skip 3 slices (so there are 2 spaces in between) and fill the next space with more of the creamed spinach. Continue in the same manner, dividing the creamed spinach evenly among every third space. Fill each space next to the creamed spinach with a layer of the scalloped potatoes, dividing the scalloped potatoes evenly among every third space. Fill each space next to the scalloped potatoes with a layer of the candied yams, until all the spaces are filled.
• Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan, add 2 cups of water to the bottom and tent the ham loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until the ham is heated through and the potatoes are slightly golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the honey and heat through, whisking to combine. Season with a few cracks of pepper.
• Remove the foil and brush about half the glaze over the top of the ham. Return to the oven until the glaze is thick, glossy and deep golden, about 10 minutes more. Carefully transfer to a platter and pour the remaining glaze over top.