Baked Country Ham

In the south, brine cured hams such as you buy in a supermarket are called "city hams" to differentiate from our "country" hams. The reason for all the soaking and simmering is to both cook the ham AND to remove as much salt as possible. Country Ham IS salty, very salty. See our note below for the how-to of a country ham.

• 1 country ham, from 12 - 16 pounds
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• whole cloves to stud ham

METHOD

In the morning, two days before baking , place ham in a large enough pot to completely cover it with fresh cold water. Let it soak until sundown, then discard water. Rinse ham, place back in pot and again cover with cold water. The next day drain the water off and rinse again.

Cover again with fresh water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes per pound (4 - 5 hours), until tender. Renew water that boils away by adding more boiling water.

When done, remove from heat, and let stand all night in the liquid. Next morning, remove ham and discard the liquid. Remove skin from ham and discard. Don't remove all the fat below skin.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place ham on a rack in a roaster, fattest side up. Cut diagonal gashes in a diamond pattern and rub all over with brown sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon over this, and stud with whole cloves. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 1 hour. Serve, hot or cold, sliced very thin.

Contributor: Cliff Lowe

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