Baked country ham is the centerpiece of a proper holiday meal in many parts of the South and a culinary achievement comparable to the Chinese thousand-year-old egg. Its flavor is powerfully porky, deliciously robust, minerally, and deep, and it’s perfectly complemented by the flavor of cinnamon and cloves. Though it’s nowhere near as salty as uncooked, unsoaked country ham, it’s still a good idea to have on hand some great relishes, like watermelon rind or fig preserves, or a few pickled peaches to take the edge off.
A baked country ham recipe takes some time to prepare, but it’s not complicated and it’s well worth the effort. Before you begin, make sure you have a boiling pot big enough to accommodate the ham. Most cooks arrange for their butcher to cut off the narrow hock end of the ham to make the ham fit better; we prefer to let the hock protrude a few inches above the surface of the water. As long as the meaty majority of the bulb-shaped ham is submerged, you’re in good shape. We’ve found small, 8-pound country hams that fit nicely, hock and all, in an 8-gallon boiling pot.
What to drink: A perfectly baked country ham, scented with clove and bracingly salty, is an ideal excuse for serving the South’s greatest wine, made from native Scuppernong grapes. Resist the urge to drink bone-dry wines on this occasion and seek out off-dry varieties made by Duplin Winery in Rose Hill, North Carolina, and lrvin-House Vineyards on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina.–Matt Lee and Ted Lee
LC Classic Easter Feast Note: A crackly brown sugar glaze that shatters upon touch and a sweet, salty porkiness beneath that’s inflected with cloves is just what some of us have always dreamed of for easter. All that’s missing is the maraschino cherry. Or not.
Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 3 hours, 15 minutes, not including overnight soaking
Baked Country Ham Recipe
Ingredients
| metric conversion- 8- to 11- pound country ham
- 10 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- 3 cups cider vinegar
- 24 whole cloves
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
Directions
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- 1. Place the ham under warm running water and scrape any surface mold, seasonings, cobwebs, [Editor's Note: Um, ew!] or any other matter from the ham with a stiff brush. Place the ham in an 8-gallon stockpot and fill it with enough water to cover the ham. Let the ham soak for 24 hours, changing the water as often as possible, ideally once every 6 hours.
- 2. Change the water a final time and transfer the pot to a stovetop. Add the bay leaves, mustard seeds, and vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 2 hours, topping with fresh water as necessary.
- 3. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 4. Remove the ham from the stockpot and turn off the heat. When the ham is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to shave off the skin (but not the fat) from the ham. Score the surface of the ham—meaning fat and any exposed flesh—in a diagonal pattern. Place a single clove in the center of each scored diamond. Pat the ham thoroughly on all sides with the brown sugar.
- 5. Place the ham on a rack in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the fat has crisped and the sugar has melted into a nice glaze. Let the ham rest on the rack for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and carve.
- Cider and Mustard Baked Ham from Urban Foodie
- Jambon La Bire from La Cuisine d'Helene
- Mustard Baked Ham from Leite's Culinaria
- Dr Pepper Glazed Ham from Leite's Culinaria
Baked Country Ham Recipe © 2006 Matt Lee and Ted Lee . Photo © 2006 Gentl & Hyers. All rights reserved.
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My Grandfather prepared a smoke cured country ham every Christmas. Paper thin slices of smoky, salty ham, the salt cut by the sweetened glaze, is a holiday on a bone, anytime! My only question is, why do we say we BAKE a ham, but ROAST most other meats?