BAKED HAM
HAM IS MADE FROM THE HIND QUARTER OF a hog. There are two general categories, which are referred to by butchers and people in the business as country and city hams. Country hams are salted and aged by a process known as dry-curing. City hams are brined in a salt solution (like pickles) by a process known as wet-curing. The former method results in salty, firm, dry meat, like prosciutto or the famed serrano ham of Spain. The latter process is used to make moister slicing hams, the kind sold in supermarkets.
Most country hams are made in small batches by craftsmen on farms in Virginia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Unless you live in the South, you won't see country hams in markets, but they can be ordered by mail or through your local butcher.
Country hams are cured in salt or a mixture of salt and sugar for several weeks, usually about five. During this dry-curing period, the meat must lose at least 18 percent of its fresh weight. (Many country hams shed 25 percent of their weight, for an even saltier, more concentrated ham flavor.) By law, a country ham must also absorb at least 4 percent salt. At this level, the salt acts as preservative and prevents any bacterial growth during the long aging process that follows.
Once a country ham has been cured, it's smoked (over hardwoods like hickory or apple) for two to six days, rubbed with black pepper, and then aged, at least 60 days and up to a year or more in some cases. You could eat country ham raw (it's fully preserved), but the custom in the United States is to cook ham. The most famous country hams come from the small Virginia town of Smithfield. By law, Smithfield hams must be dry-cured and then aged a minimum of six months.
The flavor of a country ham is always intense, and often quite salty. Good country ham has a complex smoky flavor with hints of blue cheese, nuts, wood, and spice. In general, the longer a ham has been aged, the stronger the flavors will be. When buying country ham, decide how strong and intense a flavor you like and then buy according to age. Most novices will find a 15-month ham overpowering and are probably better off with a shorter-cure ham. Southerners who grew up on good country ham may find a three-month ham insipid.
Many people believe that soaking a country ham is essential to its final edibility. The theory is that soaking causes the meat to lose some of the salt with which it was cured, as the salt naturally moves from places of greater concentration (in the ham) to places of lesser concentration (the soaking water). As salt migrates out of the ham, water replaces some of it, a process that helps soften the ham's texture and prevents excessive dryness.
Our testing supported this theory but also showed that the process doesn't happen as quickly as you might think. Only when we soaked a year-old ham for a full 36 hours could we detect any change in texture compared with a similar ham that was not soaked. The soaked ham was just a bit less dry and a bit less salty.
In our tests, we found that hams subjected to cures of less than six months are rarely so salty that they need soaking. But a ham cured for more than a year needs at least three days in cold water before cooking to become edible. Hams cured for six to 12 months need to be soaked for 36 hours.
Many recipes suggest adding ingredients, especially sweeteners, to the soaking liquid. We found that sugar, Coke, and white vinegar (all recommended by various sources) have no effect on the ham.
The next step is to cook the ham. We tried baking the ham in a 325-degree oven and liked the results quite a lot. The ham is dry and salty. However, this method is for ham lovers only. Many ham novices were put off by the strong flavor. Simmering tames some of the salt and is the best bet when preparing ham for a holiday crowd. Simmering also adds a little moisture to the ham, making it easier to carve in thin slices. (Country ham is too rich and salty to be sliced into thick slabs like a city ham.)
We tried all kinds of simmering regimens and found that cooking the ham at the barest simmer is better than boiling. Gentle heat ensures that the outside layers of meat don't cook too fast. As for the timing, we found that 10 minutes per pound is a decent barometer. Better still, use an instant-read thermometer and pull the ham out of the pot when it reaches 120 degrees.
At this point, the rind and most of the fat need to be removed. The ham can then be scored, glazed, and put into the oven just to set the glaze, the best option when serving the ham as the centerpiece of a meal. A simmered country ham can also be cooled, boned, weighted, and then sliced into very thin pieces and served at a buffet party with biscuits.
Many cooks would rather skip the scrubbing, soaking, and simmering steps that a country ham often requires. They would also prefer a ham that could be carved into thick, moist slices. Wet-cured city hams are the answer. City hams are smoked like country hams but not aged. Unlike country hams, brined hams are not actually preserved and must be refrigerated like fresh meat.
There are several types of city hams. Some hams are labeled "boneless," others "bone-in." Boneless hams are usually made by pressing together various pieces of meat. There is no muscle definition and the "skin" is often made by a machine that scores the exterior and then paints it with food coloring. We prefer bone-in city hams. The large hip bone that runs the length of the ham has been left intact. However, some or all of the small bones that can make carving a country ham so tricky have been removed.
The other issue is the water content. Many large commercial outfits inject the meat with brine to increase its weight and cost (hams are usually sold by the pound), sometimes by as much as 25 percent. Hams that are actually brined instead of injected taste stronger and are more economical since you are not paying for water weight that the ham will lose when cooked. If you see the words "with natural juices" or "water added," the ham has been injected and will probably cook up moister, less smoky, and much lighter. If you want a really mild ham flavor, you might consider a water-added ham. However, our recommendation is to stick with a no-water-added ham. They are chewy rather than squishy and have some of the character of a country ham without all the bother and the salt.
Some city hams are sold with a partial rind and some fat that must be trimmed, just like a country ham. However, most city hams have very little fat and cannot even be scored. If you have a choice, buy a ham with some fat on it. You can then remove as much fat as you like and score whatever remains.
To serve a city ham, simply glaze and bake. We recommend buying a city ham that is labeled "ready-to-eat" or "fully cooked." (Most city hams are sold this way.) If fully cooked at the plant, you need only warm the ham in the oven to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. If you happen to buy a ham labeled "partially cooked" or "cook before eating," it must baked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, and you will need to adjust the cooking times in our recipe.