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MD | Here's what I do: wash the ham off then soak ham in large pot of cool water for 3-4 days. Change the water every 24 hours. This will draw out some of the salt and rehydrate the ham. After soaking, cut the skin off and score the fat. Sometimes I insert whole cloves into the scored fat, this adds flavor and make for a nice appearance if you are serving the ham. I cook at a low temperature (250-275) for a couple of hours. Glaze can be whatever mix you like (mustard, brown sugar, maple syrup). Baste regularly for a nice glaze. Ham should be nice and tender and have plenty of flavor.
Baked country ham was always a holiday treat for us growing up. You can buy cured country hams at local butchers shops and grocery stores around here, but I prefer to buy one from a local farm. Guy I buy from has been winning ribbons at the county fair for years.
Side note- one of my customers (Baltimore Spirits Company) did a pechuga style brandy last fall with a country ham. You're probably not familiar with pechuga, it's a typically mescal that's distilled with meat hanging in the still. The BSC pechuga brandy has a very distinct country ham finish. The distiller said the ham left from the distilling was very tender! | |
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