Fresh Ham

I have a ten pound shank half bone-in fresh ham, covered with skin and fat. I am currently brining it. I need suggestions for the cooking part. I could rotisserie, crock pot or slow cook in the oven. I'm thinking of either making a gravy or using saurkraut. Any ideas are welcome.

Howard, I have never done what you are attempting. If I had a ham like that, I personally would cover it with sugar, orange marmalade, honey, BBQ sauce and put it in the oven and bake it low temp for at least 8 hours.

In addition you could slice it and fry it.

It would smoke well if you have one.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul
Thanks for your input. I think I am going with the crockpot, since I want a fall off the bone result. Definetly using the bone for beans or bean soup. Maybe someday we will meet up on the water with my McGegor 26. No laughing.
Howard

A fresh ham is our favorite pork roast. Treat it as you would any other pork roast. It is a tender juicy cut of meat.

Cakes

I may be too late for this but.....low and slooooow is the way to cook this piece of meat. I used to do them in the oven at the hotel overnight (for Sunday brunch) about 225 for 8 hours. It'll just FALL off the bone. Of course you can glaze it with just about anything that you want but since the SKIN is on, it will fall off (and your glaze too) when you go to carve it.

lleechef: would you remove the skin before you bake. Is it better in the crockpot or in a big pan glazed?

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

lleechef: would you remove the skin before you bake. Is it better in the crockpot or in a big pan glazed?

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I never removed the skin. And I never had a crockpot big enough to cook this large of a piece of meat. At the hotel, we cooked them in AltoShams (low temp cookers that are used for prime rib, whole steamship of beef, etc.), at home I would cook it in the oven.

lleechef: did you add veggies to the ham? did you add spices? how did you do it?

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

lleechef, et.al.

After brining, I got out the crock pot, looked at the ten + pound hunk and immediately went to the oven. Cooked at 225 for nine hours, added a mirepoix to the bottom of the pan after a few hours, after five hours added water to cover the vegetables. After reaching a temp of 170 degrees removed from the oven. I removed all the fat and skin surrounding the pork and placed in a 350 degree oven until crisp and by the way damn tasty.
The fresh ham was tender, and flavorful with a real pork taste. I do think bring in salt and sugar for 24 hours helped. Served with red cabbage and lima beans. I did not bother making gravy, it tasted great on its own. As of this writing, I am still cutting off pieces and eating when the urge hits me. I am looking forward to bone cuisine this weekend.

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

lleechef: did you add veggies to the ham? did you add spices? how did you do it?

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Only a little Lawry's Seasoned Salt. The veggies are not necessary (a little mirepoix never hurt anybody) and the cooking method described by howard8 above is perfect! When I worked for a hotel we had a carving station for brunch and fresh ham was our most popular item........even more than a steamship of beef!

I should not tell Howard and lleechef this but the Sundancer did not have a clue about mirepoix. I have led a sheltered southern life. Maybe you can Tennessee fry it?

I jumped on google and found the answer.

http://eat.epicurious.com/dictionary/food/index.ssf?DEF_ID=2764

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

I should not tell Howard and lleechef this but the Sundancer did not have a clue about mirepoix. I have led a sheltered southern life. Maybe you can Tennessee fry it?

I jumped on google and found the answer.

http://eat.epicurious.com/dictionary/food/index.ssf?DEF_ID=2764

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

YOU can Tennessee fry anything! But living outside of the beautiful state of Tennessee, us underpriviledged folks have to make mirepoix....it's like a penalty, chopping all those vegetables into teeny tiny pieces!

I am glad epicurious indicated how to pronounce it. Some of us true Tennesseans have a very difficult time pronouncing even short English words.

I cannot wait to try the fresh ham thing.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

I am glad epicurious indicated how to pronounce it. Some of us true Tennesseans have a very difficult time pronouncing even short English words.

I cannot wait to try the fresh ham thing.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Too funny.

You will LOVE the fresh ham thing. I never brined one but I would certainly try it.

Even WORSE than the mirepoix is the brunoise! No chef, please don't make us do brunoise....to which I reply, "and if it's not the right size you all have to start over again!" Mean, nasty chef.