Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in the Bay
Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook" Smithfield
Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal. Please
note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in the
usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We don't
want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.
Thanks in advance,
Kent

On Nov 15, 1:41*pm, "Kent" > wrote:
> Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in the Bay
> Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook" Smithfield
> Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal. Please
> note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in the
> usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We don't
> want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.
> Thanks in advance,
> Kent

Costco carries Johnston County country hams, at least online.
Uncooked, cured for six months, approx 13 lb they sell for $49.99.

They're cured with salt and sugar.

In article >,
"Kent" > wrote:

> Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in the Bay
> Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook" Smithfield
> Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal. Please
> note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in the
> usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We don't
> want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.

Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the hams
for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more space
the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
is Safeway. Here is their flyer:

http://weeklyspecials.safeway.com/cu...drpStoreID=796

$1.99 per pound

Note also that many folks use the term "fresh ham" to refer to uncured
and unsmoked hams.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Kent" > wrote:
>
>> Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in the
>> Bay
>> Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook"
>> Smithfield
>> Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal. Please
>> note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in the
>> usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We don't
>> want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.
>
> Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the hams
> for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
> although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more space
> the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
> is Safeway. Here is their flyer:
>
> http://weeklyspecials.safeway.com/cu...drpStoreID=796
>
> $1.99 per pound
>
> Note also that many folks use the term "fresh ham" to refer to uncured
> and unsmoked hams.
>
> --
> Dan Abel
> Petaluma, California USA
>
>
>
All of the Safeway hams are fully cooked. I'm looking for a ham that is
uncooked, wet cured, and smoked. The wet cured is very important, to
distinguish it from the bagged Gawaltney and Smithfield hams.

Kent

"Kent" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
> ...
>> In article >,
>> "Kent" > wrote:
>>
>>> Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in the
>>> Bay
>>> Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook"
>>> Smithfield
>>> Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal. Please
>>> note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in the
>>> usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We don't
>>> want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.
>>
>> Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the hams
>> for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
>> although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more space
>> the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
>> is Safeway. Here is their flyer:
>>
>> http://weeklyspecials.safeway.com/cu...drpStoreID=796
>>
>> $1.99 per pound
>>
>> Note also that many folks use the term "fresh ham" to refer to uncured
>> and unsmoked hams.
>>
>> --
>> Dan Abel
>> Petaluma, California USA
>>
>>
>>
> All of the Safeway hams are fully cooked. I'm looking for a ham that is
> uncooked, wet cured, and smoked. The wet cured is very important, to
> distinguish it from the bagged Gawaltney and Smithfield hams.
>
> Kent
>
>

I'm wondering why you don't wet cure and smoke your own? Almost sounds
easier than enduring the flak around here.

In article >,
"Pico Rico" > wrote:

> "Kent" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> In article >,
> >> "Kent" > wrote:
> >>
> >>> Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in the
> >>> Bay
> >>> Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook"
> >>> Smithfield
> >>> Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal. Please
> >>> note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in the
> >>> usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We don't
> >>> want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.
> >>
> >> Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the hams
> >> for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
> >> although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more space
> >> the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
> >> is Safeway. Here is their flyer:
> >>
> >> http://weeklyspecials.safeway.com/cu...drpStoreID=796
> >>
> >> $1.99 per pound
> >>
> >> Note also that many folks use the term "fresh ham" to refer to uncured
> >> and unsmoked hams.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Dan Abel
> >> Petaluma, California USA
> >>
> >>
> >>
> > All of the Safeway hams are fully cooked. I'm looking for a ham that is
> > uncooked, wet cured, and smoked. The wet cured is very important, to
> > distinguish it from the bagged Gawaltney and Smithfield hams.
> >
> > Kent
> >
> >
>
> I'm wondering why you don't wet cure and smoke your own? Almost sounds
> easier than enduring the flak around here.

Is this what Kent wants?

Country Ham--Item #501(Uncooked) 14 pounds.Item Id(1)

Description: We hand rub each ham with our special recipe, hickory smoke
and slowly age. Honored with 15 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. No nitrite or
nitrates.

<http://www.scotthams.com/index.php?method=Detail&ItemsId=1>

Steve

--
steve <at> w0x0f <dot> com
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to
skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, sidecar in the other, body thoroughly
used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Steve Fenwick > wrote in
:

[snip]

> Is this what Kent wants?

Probably not. Sounds like a dry cured ham to me.

> Country Ham--Item #501(Uncooked) 14 pounds.Item Id(1)
>
> Description: We hand rub each ham with our special recipe, hickory
> smoke and slowly age. Honored with 15 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. No nitrite
> or nitrates.
>
> <http://www.scotthams.com/index.php?method=Detail&ItemsId=1>
>
> Steve
>

Steve Fenwick wrote:

>Is this what Kent wants?
>
>Country Ham--Item #501(Uncooked) 14 pounds.Item Id(1)
>
>Description: We hand rub each ham with our special recipe, hickory smoke
>and slowly age. Honored with 15 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. No nitrite or
>nitrates.
>
><http://www.scotthams.com/index.php?method=Detail&ItemsId=1>

As far as I know, country ham is always dry-cured, i.e. coated with
salt at a minimum, sometimes with sodium nitrate and sugar and pepper
as well. The ham may or may not also be smoked. The ham is sold that
way, uncooked (which keeps for a very long time), or else it's cooked,
and has to be vacuum-packed and refrigerated. All the places in
Kentucky that I know about -- Newsom's, Benton's, and Father's, and
now Scott (thanks, Steve) -- follow this practice.
What Kent's looking for is something else: a wet-cured ham, which I
guess means soaked in and/or injected with a liquid cure, but one
which has not then been cooked. I've never seen this, but I guess it
exists.
If you don't want a dry-cured ham, and you don't want a cooked
wet-cured ham, and you can't find an uncooked wet-cured ham, you could
make a pretty tasty dish just by buying a fresh pork leg, brining it
for a couple of days, and then cooking it. It wouldn't be pink, like a
cured ham, but you could do interesting things to the layer of fat,
especially if you include some sugar in the brine.

>>
>> Kent
>>
>>
>
> I'm wondering why you don't wet cure and smoke your own? Almost sounds
> easier than enduring the flak around here.
>

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Cure-Ham-at-Home

"Pico Rico" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Kent" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> In article >,
>>> "Kent" > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in
>>>> the Bay
>>>> Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook"
>>>> Smithfield
>>>> Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal.
>>>> Please
>>>> note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in
>>>> the
>>>> usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We
>>>> don't
>>>> want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.
>>>
>>> Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the hams
>>> for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
>>> although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more space
>>> the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
>>> is Safeway. Here is their flyer:
>>>
>>> http://weeklyspecials.safeway.com/cu...drpStoreID=796
>>>
>>> $1.99 per pound
>>>
>>> Note also that many folks use the term "fresh ham" to refer to uncured
>>> and unsmoked hams.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Dan Abel
>>> Petaluma, California USA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> All of the Safeway hams are fully cooked. I'm looking for a ham that is
>> uncooked, wet cured, and smoked. The wet cured is very important, to
>> distinguish it from the bagged Gawaltney and Smithfield hams.
>>
>> Kent
>>
> I'm wondering why you don't wet cure and smoke your own? Almost sounds
> easier than enduring the flak around here.
>
Flak is endogenous in this newsgroup. You have to live with it. At any
moment, now, Sqwertz will start chirping. At the same time I've learned in
this news group, from Sqwertz along with the rest.

I have wet cured a bit. To wet cure a whole ham would be pretty negative. To
do it correctly you probably need to inject your curing solution.

Kent

"evergene" > wrote in message
...
> Steve Fenwick wrote:
>
>>Is this what Kent wants?
>>
>>Country Ham--Item #501(Uncooked) 14 pounds.Item Id(1)
>>
>>Description: We hand rub each ham with our special recipe, hickory smoke
>>and slowly age. Honored with 15 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. No nitrite or
>>nitrates.
>>
>><http://www.scotthams.com/index.php?method=Detail&ItemsId=1>
>
> As far as I know, country ham is always dry-cured, i.e. coated with
> salt at a minimum, sometimes with sodium nitrate and sugar and pepper
> as well. The ham may or may not also be smoked. The ham is sold that
> way, uncooked (which keeps for a very long time), or else it's cooked,
> and has to be vacuum-packed and refrigerated. All the places in
> Kentucky that I know about -- Newsom's, Benton's, and Father's, and
> now Scott (thanks, Steve) -- follow this practice.
> What Kent's looking for is something else: a wet-cured ham, which I
> guess means soaked in and/or injected with a liquid cure, but one
> which has not then been cooked. I've never seen this, but I guess it
> exists.
> If you don't want a dry-cured ham, and you don't want a cooked
> wet-cured ham, and you can't find an uncooked wet-cured ham, you could
> make a pretty tasty dish just by buying a fresh pork leg, brining it
> for a couple of days, and then cooking it. It wouldn't be pink, like a
> cured ham, but you could do interesting things to the layer of fat,
> especially if you include some sugar in the brine.
>
>
The Smithfield brand "ready to cook" ham I started this thread with is a wet
cured non cooked ham. It's of marginal quality. I'd like to find something
better. Brining and curing pork on your own raises your work load much
higher than most of us want. You have to wait for the winter and brine in
your garage.
<ha!>
Kent





Kent

On 11/15/10 7:00 PM, Steve Fenwick wrote:
>
> Is this what Kent wants?
>
> Country Ham--Item #501(Uncooked) 14 pounds.Item Id(1)
>
> Description: We hand rub each ham with our special recipe, hickory smoke
> and slowly age. Honored with 15 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. No nitrite or
> nitrates.
>
> <http://www.scotthams.com/index.php?method=Detail&ItemsId=1>
>
> Steve

No, what Kent wants is an uncooked "City" ham. City hams are wet cured
(using brine).


- Peter

On 11/15/10 3:28 PM, Dan Abel wrote:
>
> Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the hams
> for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
> although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more space
> the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
> is Safeway.

I agree. Most wet-cured city hams on sale at supermarkets *are* smoked but
uncooked. I'm not sure why Kent is having trouble locating one.


- Peter

Kent wrote:

>The Smithfield brand "ready to cook" ham I started this thread with is a wet
>cured non cooked ham. It's of marginal quality. I'd like to find something
>better. Brining and curing pork on your own raises your work load much
>higher than most of us want. You have to wait for the winter and brine in
>your garage.

FYI, here's McGee on wet-cured meat:
"Because we now salt meats for taste, not to extend storage life,
industrial versions are treated with milder cures, and generally must
be refrigerated and/or cooked... Hams are injected with brine, then
'tumbled' in large rotating drums for a day to massage the brine
evenly through the meat and make it more supple, and finally pressed
into shape, partly or fully cooked, chilled, and sold with no maturing
period." (from "On Food and Cooking," Harold McGee)

For lots of information on wet-curing, and nice graphics, see
http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/hams-other-meats/hams
It's there that I learned that meat pumping will help you avoid bone
taint.

In article >,
"Kent" > wrote:

> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >,
> > "Kent" > wrote:
> >
> >> Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in the
> >> Bay
> >> Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook"
> >> Smithfield
> >> Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal. Please
> >> note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in the
> >> usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We don't
> >> want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.
> >
> > Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the hams
> > for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
> > although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more space
> > the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
> > is Safeway. Here is their flyer:
> >
> > http://weeklyspecials.safeway.com/cu...drpStoreID=796
> >
> > $1.99 per pound

> All of the Safeway hams are fully cooked. I'm looking for a ham that is
> uncooked, wet cured, and smoked. The wet cured is very important, to
> distinguish it from the bagged Gawaltney and Smithfield hams.

I went to Safeway this morning to get some milk. Much to my surprise
(and dismay), you are correct. The hams were clearly labelled "Ready to
Eat". I've bought many uncooked hams at this very Safeway over the
years. I guess life has changed since then (and they used to be under
$1.00 a pound, too). There used to be huge displays of them, although I
think that was more at Easter.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Kent" > wrote:
>
>> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > In article >,
>> > "Kent" > wrote:
>> >
>> >> Where can I buy a raw, uncooked, though cured and smoked half ham in
>> >> the
>> >> Bay
>> >> Area. The only thing I've found to present is the "Ready to Cook"
>> >> Smithfield
>> >> Ham at Walmart Supercenter in Dixon. That ham is pretty marginal.
>> >> Please
>> >> note that I'm looking for a raw, though cured with sodium nitrite in
>> >> the
>> >> usual way ham. 99% of cured hams in markets are already cooked. We
>> >> don't
>> >> want a fresh ham that hasn't been cured.
>> >
>> > Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the
>> > hams
>> > for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
>> > although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more
>> > space
>> > the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
>> > is Safeway. Here is their flyer:
>> >
>> > http://weeklyspecials.safeway.com/cu...drpStoreID=796
>> >
>> > $1.99 per pound
>
>> All of the Safeway hams are fully cooked. I'm looking for a ham that is
>> uncooked, wet cured, and smoked. The wet cured is very important, to
>> distinguish it from the bagged Gawaltney and Smithfield hams.
>
> I went to Safeway this morning to get some milk. Much to my surprise
> (and dismay), you are correct. The hams were clearly labelled "Ready to
> Eat". I've bought many uncooked hams at this very Safeway over the
> years. I guess life has changed since then (and they used to be under
> $1.00 a pound, too). There used to be huge displays of them, although I
> think that was more at Easter.
>
> --
> Dan Abel
> Petaluma, California USA
>
>
>
"Ready to Eat" means cooked by the producer.. If you look at the heating
instructions on that type of ham it will say it must be warmed only to
"eating temperature" about 120F or so.

Kent

"Peter Lawrence" > wrote in message
...
> On 11/15/10 3:28 PM, Dan Abel wrote:
>>
>> Don't we go through this every year on this newsgroup? Most of the hams
>> for sale in stores during the holiday season fit this description,
>> although fully cooked spiral sliced hams are getting more and more space
>> the last few years. I would try "any local store". Our nearest store
>> is Safeway.
>
> I agree. Most wet-cured city hams on sale at supermarkets *are* smoked but
> uncooked. I'm not sure why Kent is having trouble locating one.
>
>
> - Peter
>
>
If you look at the hams they will say something like "Ready to Eat". That
means the ham has been cooked by the producer.. If you look at the heating
instructions on that type of ham it will say it must be heated only to an
"eating temperature" about 120F or so. I'm going to check my Prophylaxis
Emporium[aka Safeway, or Rubberway, or Condomway] this morning to confirm
that. With rare exception, none are raw, or uncooked. Even the Cook's Ham
is now cooked, and is not available uncooked anymore.

Kent

In article >,
"Kent" > wrote:

> I have wet cured a bit. To wet cure a whole ham would be pretty negative. To
> do it correctly you probably need to inject your curing solution.
>
> Kent

You might try Draegers, especially Los Altos--they may be able to
special order it. Or Dittmer's in Mountain View.

Steve

--
steve <at> w0x0f <dot> com
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to
skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, sidecar in the other, body thoroughly
used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

On 11/17/10 8:05 PM, Steve Fenwick wrote:
> In >,
> > wrote:
>>
>> I have wet cured a bit. To wet cure a whole ham would be pretty negative. To
>> do it correctly you probably need to inject your curing solution.
>>
>> Kent
>
> You might try Draegers, especially Los Altos--they may be able to
> special order it. Or Dittmer's in Mountain View.
>
> Steve

I was at the Los Altos Whole Foods the other day and asked about it at the
meat counter. The clerk said they expect a shipment of uncooked city hams
(wet cured) tomorrow (Thursday) but to call ahead to make sure that the hams
have arrived. It appears the uncooked variety is just seasonal and they
don't stock up until right before a holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter).

Might be worth calling your local Whole Foods and asking about it.


- Peter

"Peter Lawrence" > wrote in message
...
> On 11/17/10 8:05 PM, Steve Fenwick wrote:
>> In >,
>> > wrote:
>>>
>>> I have wet cured a bit. To wet cure a whole ham would be pretty
>>> negative. To
>>> do it correctly you probably need to inject your curing solution.
>>>
>>> Kent
>>
>> You might try Draegers, especially Los Altos--they may be able to
>> special order it. Or Dittmer's in Mountain View.
>>
>> Steve
>
> I was at the Los Altos Whole Foods the other day and asked about it at the
> meat counter. The clerk said they expect a shipment of uncooked city hams
> (wet cured) tomorrow (Thursday) but to call ahead to make sure that the
> hams have arrived. It appears the uncooked variety is just seasonal and
> they don't stock up until right before a holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas,
> Easter).
>
> Might be worth calling your local Whole Foods and asking about it.
>
>
> - Peter
>
Thanks very much. I'll check Whole Foods.

Kent