Mark A.Meggs wrote:
> On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 17:19:21 -0700 (PDT), Sheldon >
> wrote:
>
> >Mark A.Meggs wrote:
>
> >> As far as I know, a Virginia ham is simply one that
> >> comes from Virginia.
>
> >Not so. �This is the real Virgina ham:
>
> >http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...WITH-MARMALADE...
>
> Pay attention to the topic - we're talking UNCOOKED country ham.

Nope. "Virginia Ham" is a *recipe* (has nothing to do with Virginia)
exactly like "London Broil" is a *recipe* (has nothing to do with
London), can be prepared with any cured ham but most often made with
city ham, can even be made with canned Spam, and I do. Virginia ham
is essentially a whole clove studded glazed ham baked... any kind of
cured ham works, even country ham:
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/rec...Ham74843.shtml

Actually there is no such thing as a Virgina ham curing process, what
you're descibing is the generic "Country" ham, a dry cured ham that
can be made anywhere, and in fact is made all over the planet in it's
many versions, smoked and not.

A "Smithfield Ham" is a dry cured ham that can be made anywhere that
can accomodate the necessary certain particular infrastructure needed
to carry out the process; the best definition I've seen is in Rytec
Kutas book on pg. 387. Most of what folks buy as Smithfield Ham is
not, most are knock-offs... I'd venture to say that ALL hams sold by
the "Smithfield" *company* are knock-offs... the Smithfield *brand*
hasn't a whit to do with Smithfield Ham.

The *true* "Smithfield Ham" is very likely no longer produced except
by a few private individuals for their own consumption. When folks
spend big bucks for mail order they are getting generic Country ham,
NOT Smithfield Ham... if it happens to be a Smithfield *brand* product
so what... people buy balsamic vinegar but it's not Balsamico
Traditionale... people buy Boar's Head prosciutto but it's not
Prosciutto di Parma... people buy bagels outside NYC but they're not
bagels... people buy Nathan's hot dogs outside of Nathan's Coney
Island but they're not Nathan's hot dogs... I can go on and on... a
generic Country ham is no more a Smithfield than McDee's mystery meat
hocky pucks are hamburgers.

The Rytec Kutas description is much more complete, he gives detailed
directions for making your own.

Smithfield ham
Considered by many to be the premier COUNTRY-CURED HAM, the Smithfield
is said to have been so loved by Queen Victoria that she had six sent
to her household every week. Although these special hams *were once
produced* from hogs raised on a privileged diet of acorns, hickory
nuts and peanuts, *today's* Smithfield hams come from grain-fed hogs.

� Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst