If there ever was a party food, it`s ham. Let me count the reasons.
One, it`s special. Together, man and nature have combined to elevate pork meat to a level of texture and flavor that qualify it to play a role in even the most gastronomically ambitious of feasts. Furthermore, as there are so many forms of ham, one type or another can fit into a menu at any course before dessert. Consider also its impact when presented as the centerpiece of a buffet presentation.
Two, leaving aside ham steaks and ignoring the thin-sliced pink-colored meat sold in supermarkets that has no more taste than the plastic wrapper that surrounds it, ham comes only in party sizes. Preparing one to feed a family of a dozen or more on a Southern plantation or a Midwestern farm half a century ago made sense. Today few, if any, single persons or couples are going to pop one in the oven unless someone invents the ”guaranteed-weight-loss, ham-twice-a-day diet.”
Three, it requires a special occasion to justify a special ham. A 14-pound Smithfield ham was selling for about $65 last month in a local market. Flavorful fancy hams imported from Europe may cost even more per pound.
This brings us to the multiple personalities ham assumes. In this country, most hams are created by curing the thigh of a hog`s hind leg in a sweet liquid brine that also is injected into it to hasten the process. The cured ham may then be smoked (over hickory or maple) or treated with liquid smoke. These hams are then cooked and sold in wrappers that may say ”ready to eat” or ”heat and serve.” Having done the chore of heating, carve the ham into thin slices and serve it as the star of a main course or the main ingredient in a majestic deli sandwich.
Leftover ham is welcome at holiday time for family sandwiches or casserole dishes. It also is useful at a weekend brunch for hash or to garnish a serving of eggs. When the last of the meat finally is cut away, the bone can be used to transform a mundane bean or grain soup into something memorable.
The other category is dry-cured ham, often called ”country” ham. The curing is accomplished through rubbing, hanging, smoking and aging. It is a longer, more costly process (the hams shrink considerably), but the finished hams (usually uncooked) have a firmer texture and a considerably more complex and hearty (and sometimes very salty) flavor that will convey special elements of the hog`s diet, such as nuts.
Some of the latter hams, the famous Smithfield of Virginia and others, require long soaking and cooking. Air-dried hams such as Italy`s prosciutto
(which is now being imported into the United States) and its imitators need no cooking.
These are hams that should be served in small, thin slices-by themselves or on thin slices of bread or biscuits-as appetizers or cut into julienne strips or fine dice and added discreetly to soups, salads and risotto or potato dishes.
The following recipes allow you to present ham at a party with a ”honey- baked” coating, in a savory ”pie” containing apples, as an appetizer or with pasta.
HONEY-AND-MAPLE BAKED HAM
10 to 12 servings
1 ready-to-eat smoked ham, 13 to 15 pounds
3 cups white wine such as chenin blanc or riesling
5 tablespoons coarse-grain, Dijon- or Creole-style mustard, plus 1 tablespoon if desired
1/3 cup unrefined honey, plus 2 tablespoons if desired
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 to 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. With a sharp knife, remove rind from the ham, then score it with diagonal cross-cuts. Transfer ham to a roasting pan and pour the wine over it. Cover pan with foil wrap and place in the oven. Lower temperature to 350 and bake 1 1/4 hours.
2. Combine the mustard with 1/3 cup honey and the maple syrup to make a glaze. Remove foil from pan and brush ham with the glaze, using all the mixture. Return to the oven and continue baking for an additional 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140 degrees. Baste occasionally after the glaze has set. Do not overbake or the ham will become dry.
3. When the ham is fully heated, transfer it to a serving platter. Carve in the kitchen or at the table.
4. Reserve all the pan juices and carmelized juices from the glaze. Skim off surface fat, transfer juices to a saucepan. Add chicken stock and additional mustard and honey to taste. Bring to a boil. Soften cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir slurry into the sauce. Stir until it thickens. Serve in a sauceboat along with ham and mashed potatoes or silver dollar-size sweet-potato pancakes.
Wine suggestion: white zinfandel or chenin blanc.
-From Loewe`s Anatole Hotel, Dallas
HAM AND APPLE PANCAKE PIE
Six servings
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
2 pounds cooked ham, cut into small pieces
4 apples, Granny Smith preferred, cored, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 whole egg
Salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a deep-dish baking pan with vegetable oil or butter. Place ham pieces and apple slices in the pan in alternating layers. Sprinkle with cinnamon and pour cider and lemon juice over all. Cover pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the egg with a pinch of salt. Add milk and melted butter. Slowly fold in the flour.
3. Remove pan from oven and uncover it. Increase heat to 400 degrees. Pour the batter over the apples and ham. Level the surface with a spatula and return the pan to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is well browned. Serve for breakfast, brunch or a late-night supper. At the latter two, offer a well-chilled riesling or fruity chardonnay.
-From the Ritz-Carlton, Chicago
HAM AND CORN-BISCUIT APPETIZERS
40 to 45 servings
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced shallot or green onion
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
4 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 teaspoon mace
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 pound ham meat, cured country ham preferred, sliced thin and cut into 2-inch pieces
1. In a frying pan, combine the butter, shallot, bell pepper and sage. Cook over low heat until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add corn, 1/2 teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper, cayenne and mace. Saute until corn is heated through, an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.
2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in butter, then stir in milk and cream. Add 1 cup cooked corn mixture.
3. Roll out dough to a thickness of 3/4 inch, then cut out mini-biscuits with a 2-inch cookie cutter. Place biscuits on 2 ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes or until risen and nicely browned on top. Let cool on racks.
4. To assemble, cut a biscuit in half. Place a ham slice or slices on the bottom half, top with a dab of the remaining corn mixture and replace the top half. Serve with a brut sparkling wine or bourbon whiskey sours.
LINGUINI WITH HAM AND PEAS
Two to four servings
8 ounces linguini or fettucini, fresh preferred
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut in strips
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup whipping cream
Freshly ground nutmeg and black pepper to taste
Salt
3/4 cup defrosted frozen peas
1/4 pound ham, cubed or cut in strips
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cover and keep at a simmer.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan. Add onion and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until softened. Add chicken broth, cream, nutmeg and pepper and boil until sauce thickens somewhat, about 3 minutes.
3. Uncover pot, return to a rolling boil, then add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. If fresh, cook for about 3 minutes; if dried, about 10.
4. About 2 minutes before pasta is done, add peas and ham to the sauce to heat through. Taste and season with salt, if desired.
5. Drain pasta and transfer to a bowl. Toss with remaining tablespoon oil, then add hot cream sauce. Toss and portion into serving bowls or plates. Top with parmesan and serve at once with pinot grigio or gewurztraminer.
