Taming the Country Ham

If you’ve ever driven around the South, you’ve probably seen large cotton sacks marked “country-style, hickory-smoked ham” hanging from the rafters in roadside stands and grocery stores. If you’ve never tasted one, you’ve missed something. Country hams are as different from our mild, moist, pink “city” hams as Southern grits are from yellow cornmeal mush.

Southern hams are salty, drier than ours and dark-pink in color. The unique flavor, which many find addictive, is developed by the lengthy processes of salt curing, hickory smoking and aging. Because of its intense flavor, Southern ham is always served in paper-thin slices.

Unlike the briefly cured and ready-to-use city hams, Southern hams require a bit of preparation before cooking. You have to soak the ham overnight in cold water, which removes some of the saltiness, and scrub off any mold that may have collected during the aging process. These are simple steps unless--like one of my friends--you buy such large hams that you have to resort to soaking them overnight in a bathtub.

After soaking and rinsing, the traditional method of cooking is gentle simmering in water for about 20 minutes per pound. Then remove it from the pot, trim away any excess fat, and the ham is ready to carve. If glazing a ham is a ritual with you, spread the glaze over the ham after trimming the fat and pop it into the oven for 30 minutes to set the glaze before serving.

A cooked country ham will keep for three weeks in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer. After the Sunday ham dinner, the remaining ham may be used for sandwiches, egg dishes, bean stews, rice dishes, salads, vegetable greens and the famous Virginia ham biscuits. Or use it in the classic dish hopping john, made of ham-flavored black-eyed peas and white rice.

Huguenot torte, a cross between a meringue and an apple-pecan cake, is a Southern dessert standby. It is a snap to make and bake. It doesn’t freeze well, so use it within two days and warm it before serving the second day.

To order the hams: S. Wallace Edwards & Sons Inc., P.O. Box 25, Surry, Va. 23883. (800) 222-4267. An 11-12 pound Virginia ham, aged six months, costs $39 plus $6 for shipping.

VIRGINIA HAM BISCUITS 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup shortening 2/3 cups buttermilk 1 cup finely chopped or ground ham

Combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in mixing bowl. Stir together with fork. Drop shortening into dry ingredients. Using pastry blender, 2 knives or fingertips, work shortening into dry ingredients until mixture is in irregular crumbs resembling soft bread crumbs. Add buttermilk and ham and stir with fork just until dough forms rough mass.

Turn dough out onto smooth, lightly floured surface. Knead 12 to 14 times. Pat into 8x8 1/2-inch-square baking pan. Use knife to cut dough into 2-inch squares. Place biscuits in baking pans or on sheet (with biscuits touching for light and fluffy or at least 1 inch apart for darker and crisper). Bake at 425 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Serve hot. Makes about 15 (2-inch) biscuits.

Each serving contains about: 136 calories; 266 mg sodium; 5 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.05 gram fiber.

HOPPING JOHN 1 pound black-eyed peas Water 1 1/2 cups cut-up ham 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 bay leaves, crumbled Salt 1 1/2 cups long-grained white rice cooked

Soak black-eyed peas in water to cover generously overnight. Drain and put into large saucepan or kettle. Add 8 cups water, enough to cover black-eyed peas amply. Add ham, onions, black pepper and red pepper to taste, garlic and bay leaves. Simmer, uncovered, about 1 hour, or until peas are tender. Add more water if needed, so beans don’t burn or stick to bottom of pan. If needed, season to taste with salt.

About 30 minutes before beans are done, cook rice according to package directions. Serve in shallow bowls with peas on side of bowl and white rice on other side. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 500 calories; 515 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 88 grams carbohydrates; 28 grams protein; 3.85 grams fiber.

HUGUENOT TORTE 2 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups chopped tart apples, peeled and cored 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla Butter Vanilla ice cream

In bowl beat eggs until frothy and lemon-colored. Add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until smooth. Stir in apples, pecans and vanilla. Mix well. Put in buttered 12x8 baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees about 45 minutes, or until crusty and brown on top. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 277 calories; 260 mg sodium; 71 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.45 gram fiber.