"Omelet" wrote:
> Lynn from Fargo wrote:
>
>> > I don't like that plastic netting either, it pollutes, but much more
>> > important it creates a life threatening danger to critters... I always
>> > cut
>> > it into small bits, I do that with all plastic wrap.
>>
>> The glaze/rub is for those folks who can't cook. They only "assemble"
>> stuff according to package directions. Cooks makes wonderful hams,
>> but i think people who buy spiral sliced hams that they are going to
>> "bake" are silly. All that does is dry out the poor ham. Of course
>> for the "assemblers" the glaze packet for spiral sliced hams needs to
>> be liquid. You can glaze a ham with anything from pineapple salsa to
>> Coke.
>> Lynn in Fargo
>> Envying your $1.79 lb buy!
>
> They are on sale here locally for that price too, but I still won't buy
> one as they DO tend to dry out. I'll get the Smithfields that are
> currently on sale for $.99.
>
>
The trick is in knowing how to cook the spiral cut hams. Place the cut side
down in a pan and cover the ham *lightly* with foil (do not wrap), this is
like placing the ham into a sauna, and then choose a bake time to the low
end of package directions. And I want the ham to exude/sweat water into the
pan, that leaches out a lot of salt, baking ucovered makes the water
evaporate leaving the salt behind and the ham dry. My ham turning out
perfectly delicious, and last minute I decided to try the glaze sauce... not
bad but I won't again, I didn't like it and my cats don't like it either...
good it didn't run to the interior.
I baked it in that black non-stick Farberware pan that the sqwartz hates so,
then I transfered it to my nice glass pan.... didn't want the ham to
reabsorb the brine that accumulated in the pan... had I known dry ham would
be an issue I would have taken a picture of all the brine in that pan, like
about 12 ounces... there wan't much fat, this wasn't a fatty ham.
I think it looks prety good, a nice dark mohogany, I especially admired that
wee bit o' pink peeking out twixt those lips:
http://i43.tinypic.com/13yotjs.jpg
Here I flipped it to the business end, fixed myself a really good sammich:
http://i40.tinypic.com/mjbm68.jpg
A couple months back I bought an unsliced butt half, cost $1.19/lb, but is a
lot more work to serve and contains a whole lot more waste, plenty fat, and
the aitch bone, and lots o' connective gristle, and required about twice as
long cooking time to heat through, I found the exterior quite dry while the
center especially around the bone not properly done... was no bargain. Next
time IF I buy one of those it will be a full ham and I will bone it. before
baking. I much prefer the spiral cut, I truly appreaciate being able to
build a sammiche on the spur with no hassle about carving. And the spiral
sliced always has very little exterior fat, they seem to trim it pretty
close before slapping it on that lathe. In the navy I prepared thousands,
upon thousands upon thousands of hams (the most often served meat), all huge
ones, typically 25-30 lbs each and none spiral sliced... to serve I had to
slice each one entirely by hand, and had to be quick, the line had to move
fast enough to feed the entire crew of some 350 in under 30 minutes.. there
were mess cooks to spoon and ladle the accompaniments but only the duty cook
could slice meat. When I say I know to carve any cut of meat I mean I can
in a drunken stupor, and at flank speed. So I really appreciate having a
spiral sliced ham in my fridge. I'm already looking forward to having ham
tomorow, believe it or not I'm thinking a ham on kosher for passover
matzo... how bad can a ham matzo brie be... gotta remember to pick up some
chrain. And yes, I can hochr a chr lunger good as any Rrrruske . Ask a
Ruske how to say "fish" without moving your lips... chrering > herring. LOL