Country Ham Antipasto Food

COUNTRY HAM CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the spaghetti in the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions, about 8 minutes.
• Add the ham to the pan with the onions and garlic and cook until just warmed through, about 2 minutes. Whisk together the Parmesan, cream, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and some pepper in a bowl.
• Drain the pasta and transfer to the saucepan with the onion mixture and toss well. Immediately stir in the egg and cheese mixture until well combined. Serve immediately.
• Adjust the oven racks to accommodate a large covered roasting pan. Fit the pan with a shallow rack. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Unwrap the ham and rinse it in cold water. Place it on the rack in the roasting pan. Cover the pan with the lid and bake for half the estimated cooking time (total cooking time is about 20 minutes per pound, so 6 hours to 6 hours 40 minutes total).
• Halfway through the estimated cooking time, add the sugar and honey to a saucepan, cooking over medium heat until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the ham and continue baking the ham, basting occasionally with the drippings in the roaster. Check for doneness at the end of the estimated cooking time by inserting a meat thermometer at a meaty point (not into fat or touching the bone). It should register 160 degrees F.

COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Unwrap ham and scrub off any surface mold (if you hung in a sack for 6 months you'd have mold too). Carefully remove hock with hand saw. (If this idea makes you eye your first aid kit, ask your butcher to do it. But make sure you keep the hock, it's the best friend collard greens ever had.)
• Place ham in cooler and cover with clean water. (As long as it's not too dirty you can use what southerners call the "hose pipe"). Stash the cooler in the bushes. If it's summer, throw in some ice. If it's freezing out, keep the cooler inside. Change the water twice a day for two days turning the ham each time.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place ham in a large disposable turkey-roasting pan and add enough Dr. Pepper to come about halfway up the side of the ham. Add pickle juice if you've got it and tent completely with heavy-duty foil. Cook for 1/2 hour then reduce heat to 325 degrees F, and cook another 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn the ham over, insert an oven safe thermometer (probe-style is best) and cook another 1 1/2 hours, or until the deepest part of the ham hits 140 degrees F (approximately 15 to 20 minutes per pound total).
• Let rest 1/2 hour then slice paper-thin. Serve with biscuits or soft yeast rolls.
• Cooks note: Even after soaking, country ham is quite salty, so thin slicing is mandatory. If you're a bacon fan, however, cut a thicker (1/4-inch) slice and fry it up for breakfast.

COUNTRY HAM AND APPLES

Steps:

• Soak apples in water overnight. Next day, place ham in simmering water and cook further until soft. Add apples and brown sugar. Cook for 1 hour. For dumpling, beat the egg, butter and milk. Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture. Use milk to stiff batter.
• Drop dumpling dough by spoonful into boiling ham and apples. Cover tightly for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

GREEN SPEARS AND HAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• On a small, rimmed baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the Parmesan, oil and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Bake until the stalks are easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, orange zest and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth and spreadable.
• One at a time, fold the slices of ham in half and spread each with 1 teaspoon of the mascarpone mixture. Place one spear of cooled asparagus at one end of the slice and roll the ham around the asparagus. Repeat for the remaining asparagus. Place the rolls on a parchment-paper-lined tray and store in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap, until ready to serve. Serve chilled.

GRILLED COUNTRY HAM 2 WAYS WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat grill to high.
• Scrape mango flesh into a blender. Add BBQ sauce and blend until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Whisk molasses and Dijon together in a small bowl.
• Place sausage on grill and grill until cooked through. Place both types of ham on grill and brush with either the mango BBQ Sauce or molasses-Dijon glaze. Grill, brushing with either sauce, on each side for about 2 minutes or until sauce caramelizes. Remove from grill and cut into slices.
• Arrange ham slices and sausage on a serving platter.

COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Set ham into the prepared roasting pan and pierce several times with a fork.
• Stir brown sugar, peach preserves, and mustard together in a bowl; spread over the ham. Cover the ham with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• Roast ham in preheated oven, basting regularly, for 90 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil cover and continue baking until hot in the center, 30 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).

CLASSIC ANTIPASTO PLATTER

Steps:

• On a large serving platter, arrange the first nine ingredients; adding sliced meats if desired. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, cheese, oregano, salt and pepper; drizzle over antipasto.