Anyone have any really good virginia ham recipes?

give me all the ingredients be as precise as possible!!!!!!Anyone have any really good virginia ham recipes?
Virginia Country Ham


From American Home Cooking by Cheryl Alters Jamison, Bill Jamison


(Broadway Books; October, 1999)


SERVES TWO DOZEN OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND THEN SOME





Everyone who kept hogs, which used to be almost everyone, butchered some in the fall or early winter, as soon as the weather cooled enough to retard spoilage. The family enjoyed fresh pork for a short time, but they processed most of the meat for use over the year ahead, salt curing much of it for the pork barrel and turning the rest into sausage, lard, and other products. The ham was the cut that got the most attention, particularly in Virginia and states due west where many Virginians migrated. In Smithfield and other Tidewater communities, colonists developed the American country ham, dry curing the meat in salt, smoking it slowly, and then aging it for several months. The process bore similarities to English and other European methods, but the result was distinctively different, as densely flavored as a prosciutto, but drier, smokier, and saltier than most Old World hams. It takes advance planning, time, and a big pot to cook a Virginia-style ham properly, but it's a feast that keeps on giving, providing leftovers that can energize many a dish in even the smallest quantities. The best accompaniment is a tart and tangy condiment, like this variation on a popular pear relish.





Ingredient Tip:


In the past, small-scale farmers made country hams commercially at home, but modern meat inspection requirements have driven most of them out of business. That's meant a serious loss in artisanal variety, but you can still find high quality in the market. The best-known versions today are Smithfield hams, which by law have to be processed in Smithfield, Virginia, by traditional methods. Some Asian groceries, especially in urban Chinatowns, also carry slices of Smithfield or other country hams as a seasoning meat for Hunan dishes.





Handcrafted Ham


Evey individual farmer made country ham a little differently than the neighbors, varying the salt treatment, length of smoking, aging process, and other factors. Cooks also differed in preparation methods, ranging from the simple approach we adopt to much more elaborate techniques. Colonial Virginia aristocrat William Byrd, according to Evan Jones in American Food (1974), considered the subject so serious that he kept his recipe in the flyleaf of his Bible, reminding himself to soak the ham for 36 hours in milk and water before simmering it. He also noted once that Virginians ate so much ham they got ';extremely hoggish in their temper ... and prone to grunt rather than speak.';





Thomas Jefferson, among many others, liked his ham baked after it was cooked, stuck with cloves, covered with brown sugar, and basted with a good white wine. Southern Maryland epicures often preferred the meat stuffed with a mixture of greens and seasonings, such as minced kale and spinach with shallots and celery seed, recommended by Frederick Stieff in Eat, Drink %26amp; Be Merry In Maryland (1932). To hold in the stuffing, Stieff sewed cheesecloth around the ham, but some contemporary cooks simply wrap the package in an extra-large white cotton T-shirt.





14- to 17-pound dry-cured, smoked country ham, aged at least 6 months (see Ingredient Tip)


Pear Chutney


1 1/2 pounds firm, somewhat underripe pears, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)


1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar


1 1/2 cups cider vinegar


1 cup golden raisins


1 cup chopped onion


1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger


1/2 medium lemon, peeled and thinly sliced


2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds


1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper


Pinch of ground cloves


1 cup cider vinegar


Glaze (optional)


3 tablespoons packed brown sugar


2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper


1 tablespoon bourbon


Three days before you plan to serve the ham, begin its preparation. Make sure you have a pot large enough to hold the ham. In the South many cooks have two burner ';ham boilers,'; but we use a 40-quart pot otherwise designated for outdoor fish and turkey fries. If it looks like the shank will stick out of the pot more than an inch or so, hacksaw it off or take it to a butcher for help in trimming it.





Don't be shocked by the ham's initial grungy appearance. Scrape off exterior mold and anything else that looks unsavory with a stiff brush under running water. The mold is perfectly normal and the ham inside should be fine.





Plop the ham in the pot and place the pot where it will be near a sink but out of the way for a couple of days. Then cover the ham with water-but only after the pot is in place because it gets very heavy. Over 2 to 2 1/2, days, change the water a minimum of twice and up to four times. Each time the water is changed, and the longer the ham soaks, you reduce the saltiness a bit.





Sometime while the ham is soaking, prepare the chutney. Place the pears in a saucepan and just cover them with water. Cook briefly over medium heat until the pears become somewhat soft but not quite tender. Pour off the cooking liquid into a small heavy saucepan, mix in the brown sugar, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the mixture down to a thick syrup, about 15 minutes. Stir the remaining ingredients into the pears, add the syrup, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick consistency, about 30 more minutes. Cool the chutney, then cover and refrigerate it. (The chutney keeps well for several weeks.)





Now you're ready to cook the ham. Change the water one more time. This will be easier to do if you pour off the water and then move the pot with the ham to the stove before filling it with more water. Once the ham is covered with water, pour in the vinegar. Cook the ham at a bare simmer, with only occasional breaking bubbles on the surface, for 15 to 20 minutes per pound, until tender. Let the ham cool in the water for about 1 hour. Then remove the pot from the stove, a task for which you'll definitely want at least one muscular friend. Remove the ham from the water, placing it on a cutting board, broader, flatter side up. Discard the water.





Trim off the skin and all but 1/4 to 1/2 inch of fat. Because the thickness of the fat can vary, it's best to work with a small knife and shave off small portions. No further preparation is necessary, and the ham can be eaten warm, but the texture is best after letting it cool to room temperature or chilling it. We don't normally glaze this type of ham because the taste gets lost when it is carved into paper-thin slices. However, if you will be presenting it whole at the table or on a buffet, the meat will look more attractive if you mix up the simple glaze (or any other favorite of yours) and smear it over the top of the ham. Bake the ham briefly in a 375 degree F oven about 20 minutes, just long enough to set the glaze.





Carve the ham by first cutting out a small V of meat from the top near the hock end. From that point, continue cutting at a 45-degree angle the thinnest slices you can manage. Because of the density of the meat, people will eat much smaller portions than with other moister hams. Country ham used to be left in a cool spot on the counter for anyone to help themselves. It's better, however, to refrigerate leftovers wrapped in foil. They will keep for weeks.Anyone have any really good virginia ham recipes?
Virginia Ham and Cheese Balls





8 ounces ground or finely chopped country ham


8 ounces cream cheese, softened


3 dashes hot pepper sauce


3 pinches dry mustard powder


8 ounces unsalted Virginia peanuts, finely chopped


1 maraschino cherry half


Assorted crackers, for serving





In a large bowl, combine ground ham, cream cheese, hot sauce and mustard until well blended. Roll into a ball and then roll in chopped peanuts. Garnish with cherry on top of ball. Serve on cheeseboard with crackers.