Country Ham Bites Food

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 BISCUITS AND SCALLION-PIMENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat.
• For the scallion-pimento cheese: Stir together the cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise and scallions in a large bowl. Set aside, or if making ahead, place in the fridge until ready to use.
• For the country ham biscuits: Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 table knives, cut the cold butter cubes into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Use a fork to stir in the buttermilk to make a soft dough that comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl (make sure all the flour is worked in). Stir in the ham. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead 3 or 4 times until smooth and manageable.
• With your hands or a floured rolling pin, flatten the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut the dough out with a 2-inch floured biscuit cutter.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in it. Place the biscuits in the skillet. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
• To serve: Split the biscuits and serve with a generous spread of pimento cheese.

COUNTRY HAM AND CHEDDAR PRETZEL BITES WITH JALAPEñO MUSTARD

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and warm water in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 8 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.) In a separate bowl, stir remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar into warm milk until dissolved.
• Add 2 1/2 cups flour and milk mixture to yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time, if necessary. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in upper and lower thirds. Line two 4-sided sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then gently roll and stretch 1 piece of dough to form a 12-inch-long rope. Flatten dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12- by 4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Gently press one fourth of ham and cheese into lower third of rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along bottom edge. Stretch bottom edge of dough up over filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut rope into 12 pieces and transfer to a sheet pan. Make 3 more ropes with remaining dough, ham, and cheese and cut into pieces, transferring to sheet pans. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, 30 minutes (dough will rise slightly).
• Bring water (6 cups) to a boil in a 4-to 5-quart saucepan. Reduce heat and stir in baking soda. Cook pretzel bites in batches in gently simmering water, turning once, until slightly puffed, about 20 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to sheet pans.
• Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes (cheese may ooze slightly).
• Meanwhile, stir together mustard, jalapeños, and honey.
• Brush warm pretzel bites with butter and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Serve warm or at room temperature with jalapeño mustard for dipping.

COUNTRY HAM BITES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together. Add more milk if mixture is too dry.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

CANNED HAM BITES

Steps:

• Batter: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
• Breading: Pulse the crackers and potato chips in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl.
• Filling: Cut the canned meat into chunks and put it into a food processor with the pickle slices. Pulse until the mixture becomes chunky. Do not overmix.
• Roll pieces of the cream cheese into 1 1/2-ounce balls with floured hands to avoid sticking. Fatten each ball with the palm of your hand. Portion out the meat mixture to match the amount of cheese balls. Put a portion of the meat into the middle of a cheese ball and fold the cheese over the meat to enclose. Once you have a ball formed, dip it in the batter and then roll it in the cracker mixture. Repeat with the remaining cheese balls and meat.
• Heat about 1-inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Gently fry the bites, in batches, until golden brown. Remove them from the oil to a serving platter and enjoy!

COUNTRY HAM AND CHEESE BISCUIT BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, garlic, mustard, onion powder and cayenne. Add grated butter, mixing until evenly distributed. To the bowl add buttermilk, mix well.
• Once dough is formed, add cheese, ham and chives. Use a non stick spatula to gently mix through the dough until fully combined.
• Drop by tablespoon onto pan, leaving 2 inches between. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly golden. (Adjust bake time according to size)
• Brush again with melted butter and serve with sweet hot mustard or maple syrup, if desired.