Fresh Ham Roasted With Rye Bread And Dried Fruit Stuffing Recipes

ROAST FRESH HAM WITH ONION STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Spread pork flat; sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Heat water to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; add onions. Cook 5 minutes; drain. Mix onions and remaining ingredients. Spread half of the stuffing over pork; roll up. Fasten with metal skewers.
• Place pork fat side down on rack in shallow roasting pan. Spoon any remaining stuffing over top of pork. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of pork and does not touch stuffing. Roast uncovered 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until thermometer reads 165°F.
• Cover pork with tent of aluminum foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 170°F. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5° and pork will be easier to carve as juices set up). Remove foil and skewers. Cut into slices.

HERB STUFFING WITH DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Cut or tear the bread into bite-size pieces. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into a single layer. Bake until slightly dry and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dried fruit, sage, thyme, apple, onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl.
• Add the toasted bread to the onion mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Stir in the egg. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and evenly spread without packing the stuffing down too much. Bake until the top is crusty, about 40 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the top. Continue to bake until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Garnish with parsley and thyme.

HOW TO COOK HAM

Steps:

• If you're cooking a prepared ham, the most commonly eaten ham, you'll need to order it three or four weeks before your meal, unless you decide to buy from your butcher or supermarket. Hams that you can order directly from a smokehouse will generally have been cured with more care and will have a deeper, smokier flavor.You'll need a heavy roasting pan or two throwaway foil ones, stacked to withstand the ham's weight. You may also want a rack, an oven-safe digital thermometer, and a pastry or paint brush to apply a glaze. A sharp chef's knife is key to carving success.Determining how big a ham to buy is by no means a precise science. Appetites vary, and people will eat less at a buffet than at a dinner table. But we generally figure between ¾ to 1 pound of bone-in ham per person, and perhaps half that of boneless ham. Country ham has beautiful flavor, but people will eat very little of it because of its intensity and saltiness.
• This is the classic ham of holiday spreads, pink-hued on the interior, crusty and often sweet outside. It is easy to buy and fairly simple to prepare, and rewards the effort with a stunning centerpiece for any festive meal or gathering.A prepared ham, also known as a city ham, is wet-cured, which is to say it has been submerged in or injected with a curing solution of sugar and salt, along with sodium nitrate, nitrites and other seasonings. It's often smoked after it has been cured. This is the ham you'll most often find at the supermarket. Indeed, it's the big, juicy hunk of meat many of us know best as ham.These hams are sold bone-in and boneless. Boneless hams are incredibly easy to carve, but we believe that bone-in hams are generally more flavorful. (And ham bones are terrific starters for soups; here's a recipe.) You can buy a whole ham, which is pretty much most of the leg above the foot. It is a lot of meat. Or you can buy a half ham, from either the top of the leg or the bottom. The top of a ham is the butt end - wide and rounded. The bottom is the shank end - wide at one end, and tapered at the other. Ham steaks are often taken from the very center of the ham.You'll find both butt and shank ends at the supermarket, and both cuts are fairly simple to prepare. They will easily serve a crowd and will provide leftovers for days after. These hams should be carved in the kitchen and served as slices on a platter.Spiral-sliced hams are placed in a slicing machine that spins the ham around a blade to create thin slices of meat all the way down to the bone. They're pretty good hams, and are extremely convenient for large gatherings and particularly for buffets, when guests must serve themselves.A supermarket ham can be a delicious ham, just as a supermarket steak can be a delicious steak. But it is worth examining the label to see its origins and, in particular, to learn how much water has been added to its weight. Finding a ham online, where smokehouses now congregate to sell their wares, is another option. A few years ago, Julia Moskin walked The Times through the process of choosing a ham.Whether at a butcher or a supermarket, pay close attention to the packaging. The label may tell you that the meat comes with "natural juices" or "water." "Ham with natural juices" means the meat has picked up weight during the curing process, as the salt brings water into the flesh. "Ham with water added" has probably been injected with brine; it has more water in it than a ham with natural juices. That is your standard supermarket ham. The companies that sell spiral-sliced hams generally spiral-slice "ham with natural juices." Ready-to-eat hams constitute the majority of hams you'll generally find in the supermarket, save the fresh ones. They will be marked as such on their labels. They need no time in the oven to be served, although they taste better with a little preparation. Ready-to-cook hams have only been partially cooked, and must be heated through to an internal temperature of 155 degrees or so before serving. Whether ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook, you have a couple of choices when preparing this type of ham.You could make a glaze for the exterior of the meat, which helps both create a crust for it and to add a sweet flavor to counteract the saltiness of the meat. And if it's not a spiral-sliced ham, you could score the ham, opening its skin to the heat of the oven, allowing some fat to render and some of the glaze to penetrate the ham. The New York Times supports the application of whole cloves to each diamond in the scoring pattern of a ham, but it is not a requirement. (Our scoring and glazing chapter has everything you need to know for both methods.) Here is an excellent recipe for glazed holiday ham, with a sweet, slightly fiery and herbaceous crust.
• A fresh ham takes a little more time and effort to prepare than a cured or smoked one. It requires starting with an uncooked and often quite large haunch of meat. But cooking one results in a delicious range of flavors and textures, from well-done white meat to beautiful pink for the medium-rare crowd, along with crispy fat and dark-meat bits from the shank. A fresh ham is just that: a primal cut of pork from the rear leg of the animal. You can buy a whole fresh ham, a butt or a shank, with the bone in or boneless. We recommend bone-in ham for its depth of flavor. Because it is not cured or otherwise prepared, it does not come spiral-cut; you'll be left to carve it on your own. (We'll show you how.) To buy a fresh ham, simply ask your butcher. Extra points if the ham comes from a pig that was allowed to graze free from a pen and was not administered growth hormones. It will be fattier and more flavorful.You've bought your fresh ham. You could brine it if you like, just as you might a turkey or a chicken, then cook it in a day or so. To prepare the ham for cooking, you'll want to score the skin down to the flesh of the ham, and season the whole thing well with salt and pepper, taking care to get the seasoning well down into the cracks of the skin. If you decide to apply a glaze, wait until after the meat has been in the oven for 20 minutes or so, and then reapply every hour until the meat is done. (All you need to know about both methods is in our scoring and glazing chapter.) Here's a delicious recipe for fresh ham with a maple-balsamic glaze.Size of Ham Cooking Time at 325 DegreesBone-in whole ham12 to 16 pounds22 to 26 minutes per poundBoneless whole ham10 to 14 pounds24 to 28 minutes per poundBone-in half ham5 to 8 pounds35 to 40 minutes per pound
• A ham is delicious simply seasoned with salt and pepper, but scoring and glazing will ensure crackly skin and more complex flavor for both prepared and fresh hams. It's an easy way to get a ham ready for a party.Scoring a ham looks impressive, but it also allows the fat of the cut to render more easily, and allows the glaze to reach the surface of the meat. 1. Using a sharp knife, make parallel cuts across the surface of the ham, about a 1/4 inch deep, 1 inch apart, then repeat in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern. 2. If you'd like, insert a clove in each diamond for a fancy look and a punch of extra flavor. 3. Use a pastry brush to apply glaze to the ham, allowing it to get into the cuts made by the scoring, and repeat a few times after the ham goes into the oven. Start with a base of a ½ cup of brown sugar, combined with a few tablespoons of honey, a tablespoon of good mustard and a splash of pineapple juice, then reduce it over low heat on the stove. (Or experiment: brown sugar and soy, say; or maple and mustard.) Use a pastry or paint brush to apply glaze to the ham during the final 45 minutes of cooking it, so it seizes to the meat but does not burn.
• Country ham is as much an ingredient as a centerpiece: a salt-cured, air-dried (and sometimes smoked) haunch that can be sliced, pan-fried, baked or simmered. It is similar to prosciutto, and pairs beautifully with biscuits or on sandwiches, or sliced and fried and served with grits. A country ham is dry-cured, which is to say it is rubbed with salt, sugar and other spices, then allowed to hang for many months, losing moisture and acquiring flavor. A country ham is often smoked in advance of hanging. It is dense and very salty, an American version of Italian prosciutto or Spanish serrano or Iberico ham. Many smokehouses offer their wares online now, which is your best bet when purchasing a whole country ham. (And remember: this whole ham will last you a long time.) Vacuum-packed slices are often found in Southern supermarkets.In some ways, this is the easiest of hams to prepare. There is no scoring and glazing needed. In fact, the curing and smoking process has done nearly all the work for you.First, just stare at it for a while. Does it look a little moldy, a little covered with dust? That's totally normal! Just wipe it off with a damp towel, then slice off some skin and then some meat and taste it. Salty! Wouldn't that be great on a fresh biscuit? Do that, or soak the thing in water for 12-24 hours, changing the water three or four times, then cook in more water, at a lively simmer, for 20 minutes a pound. Take it out, dry it off, apply a glaze to it if you'd like and roast at 400 degrees for 15 or 20 minutes. Doing this adds moisture back to the ham, removing some of its chewiness. Carve it into very thin slices. (Our carving chapter has everything you need to know for that.)
• Carving a ham looks like a tricky business. It is not. Make sure you have a sharp carving knife, and a suitable platter and condiments with which to serve the meat will make your meal that much more elegant.1. Cut one or two slices from the thinner side of the ham, parallel to the shank bone, in order to create a flat, steady base for carving on a cutting board.2. Turn the ham so that it is resting on its base. Use a carving fork to hold the ham firmly, and make vertical slices into it, perpendicular to the bone, starting from the narrow, shank end, and moving toward the wider end.3. Cut along the bone to release the slices and serve. Cut only as much as you need, as the leftovers will stay moist longer if left on the bone.1. Trim the outer fat from the portion of the ham you want to carve. 2. Cut a piece off the bottom of the ham parallel to the bone to create a flat surface, and rest the ham on that side. 3. Use a carving fork to hold the ham firmly, and make very thin vertical slices into it, perpendicular to the bone, starting from the narrow shank end, and moving toward the wider end.4. Cut along the bone to release the slices and serve. Cut only as much as you need, and then return the ham to the refrigerator until you want more.

FRESH HAM WITH TUSCAN BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Place the ham on a large cutting board. Remove the bone, and butterfly the meat; reserve the bone. (Alternatively have your butcher do this.)
• Make the ham broth. Put the ham bone into a large stockpot. Add the carrots, onion, celery and sage. Cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the ham broth, uncovered. Skim frequently and cook until the broth has reduced to 2 quarts, about 2 hours. Strain the broth and measure out 1 quart and set it aside. Freeze or refrigerate the remaining broth for another purpose.
• Meanwhile, prepare the ham and stuffing. In a medium bowl, soak the bread in the milk until it is soft, about 15 minutes. Squeeze the bread and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the pine nuts, raisins, olives, garlic, spinach, Parmesan and mix.
• Lay the ham fat-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a diamond pattern, making each slash about 2-inches apart and 1/4-inch deep. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Combine the basil, thyme and parsley leaves in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and enough of olive oil to form a paste, about 1/2 cup. Rub the herb paste all over the ham.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay the ham fat-side down. Place several cups of the bread stuffing in the center of the ham. Roll the ham into a log taking care that the stuffing is evenly distributed. (Remaining stuffing can be cooked in a baking dish for 40 minutes before serving.) Tie the rolled ham with kitchen string at 3-inch intervals.
• Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat in a roasting pan just large enough to accommodate the ham. Add the ham roll and brown it on all sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the ham and place a rack in the pan (or fabricate 1 from aluminum foil).
• Place the ham on the rack. Pour half of the stock into the pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and let the ham cook for 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes or so with the pan juices. Add more stock if the pan seems dry. When the ham is tender remove it from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Tent the ham with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the string and slice the ham about 2 inches thick. Serve with additional stuffing and polenta.
• Serving suggestion: polenta.

ROASTED FRESH HAM WITH CITRUS AND RYE

Steps:

• Using a utility knife or a sharp knife, carefully score skin of ham at 3/4"-1" intervals in a crosshatch pattern, taking care to cut just through skin and fat, not into the meat.
• Whisk sage, 1/4 cup salt, orange zest, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Rub salt mixture all over ham. Transfer ham and any excess salt mixture to a jumbo (2-gallon) resealable plastic bag. Place ham in bag on a large rimmed baking sheet and chill, turning ham every day to ensure even curing, for 4 days.
• Remove ham from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Let ham stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Arrange a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 500°F. Place ham, shank bone up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Roast ham until skin turns deep golden brown and starts to puff, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F. Carefully add 1 cup water to pan (it may spatter) and roast, rotating pan once, for 1 hour.
• Add 2 cups water to pan. Scatter star anise around ham; continue to roast, rotating pan every 45 minutes and adding more water if needed to maintain 1/4" liquid in bottom of pan, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of ham registers 140°F, 1 1/2-2 hours more. If skin does not crisp within last 30 minutes of cooking, increase heat to 450°F and roast about 5 minutes longer (watch closely).
• Transfer ham to a carving board; let rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours (the ham's internal temperature will increase as it rests to about 150°F). Pour juices from roasting pan through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup; set juices aside and discard solids in strainer.
• Set roasting pan over two burners; add rye. Cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until rye is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Pour rye through same sieve into the measuring cup with ham juices. Chill in freezer for 15 minutes (this will make skimming the fat from the surface much easier).
• Skim fat from surface of juices; discard. Transfer juices (you should have about 1 cup) to a medium saucepan. Add orange juice and broth or 1 cup water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat; stir in butter. Season sauce with salt, if needed. Carve ham. Pass sauce alongside.

RYE BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Toss bread cubes in a large bowl.
• In a skillet, cook and crumble sausage just until cooked thru.
• Remove to paper towels to drain.
• To same skillet, add onion, apples, celery, garlic and butter.
• Saute until apples and vegetables are tender.
• Add both the onion mixture and sausage to bread.
• Add nuts (if desired), seasonings and enough broth to moisten.
• Cover and refrigerate til ready to bake.
• Stuff turkey just before baking.
• Bake any additional stuffing separately in a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
• Or bake all stuffing separately in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish.
• To bake stuffing separately, place in greased dish, cover and bake at 325 degrees for one hour; uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer.

FRESH HAM ROASTED WITH RYE BREAD AND DRIED FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Have your butcher bone and butterfly the ham and score the fat in a diamond pattern. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 2/3 of the garlic, 2/3 of the caraway seeds, 3 teaspoons of the salt and pepper to taste and rub the mixture over the inside and outside of the pork. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Place in a large bowl with the bread cubes, prunes, apricots, apple, rosemary, egg, remaining caraway seeds, remaining teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined.
• Open out the pork, spread the stuffing, fold the pork around it and tie securely with twine. Place in a large, deep roasting pan and pour in the chicken broth. Bake, basting from time to time, until the roast reaches 145 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 3 1/2 hours. Let stand for 15 minutes. Degrease the pan juices, slice serve passing the juices separately.