"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
m...
>
> cybercat wrote:
>
>> "Gregory Morrow" > wrote
>> > There was an article in one of the Chicawgo papers last week about
>> > hams,
>> > apparently fresh ham is pretty rare on the ground unless you special
> order
>> > it.
>>
>> It's pork roast, Greg. It's ****ing PORK ROAST. Different cut, usually
>> cured, but pork roast.
>
>
> OKAY THEN...
>

On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:35:11 -0600, Christine Dabney wrote:

> On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:13:48 -0400, "cybercat" >
> wrote:
>
>>>
>>You know, I am from this part of the country (most ancestors from VA) and to
>>me, a ham is a ham is a ham.
>>
> I am from that region too, and there are hams, and then there are
> HAMSs. The difference from what Alton Brown calls city ham and
> country ham.
>
> And a good country ham, of which is true Smithfield ham is the king,
> is something fabulous to eat.
>

true. it was the only redeeming feature so some wedding receptions i've
been to.

your pal,
blake

On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:26:30 -0600, Christine Dabney wrote:

> On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:14:44 -0400, "cybercat" >
> wrote:
>
>>I have lived in the south my entire life. Every dry cure ham I have ever had
>>was dreadfully salty, and what we call "country ham." I have never heard of
>>a dry sugar cured ham. By definition,l a dry-cured ham has to be loaded with
>>salt as salt was and is the preservative. Link, maybe?
>
> I grew up in VA myself. And believe it or not, salt is not the only
> curing agent. Sugar can be one as well. That is how jams and
> jellies are preserved, among other things such as hams.
>
> http://sugarmountainhome.com/livestock/curingmeat.html
>
> http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/foods/458-223/458-223.html
>>
>>When I talk about ham, I am talking wet cured or what you call "city ham." I
>>can't stand country or dry cured ham.
>
> That's a shame, cause down in NC where you are, are some of the finest
> as well.
>
> It does take skill to cook it right though. I know many folks are
> turned off by them, but if they are treated right (and by that I mean
> proper preparation through soaking and cooking), they can be
> marvelous.
>
> Christine
>>

statler's puts out a ten-ounce package of country hams chips that is very
useful in bean soup if your not blessed with ham bones:

<http://www.walmart.com/catalog/detail.gsp?image=http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/08/37/84/00/0008378400027_500X500.jpg&product_id=10795017&iInd ex=1&isVariant=false&corpCard=false&type=-9223372036854775808>

there may also be a smaller package. i see them at the grocery in the meat
case with fatback, smoked hog jowls, and the like.

you do have to be careful with additional salt.

your pal,
blake

In article >,
blake murphy > wrote:

> On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:35:11 -0600, Christine Dabney wrote:

> > And a good country ham, of which is true Smithfield ham is the king,
> > is something fabulous to eat.
> >
>
> true. it was the only redeeming feature so some wedding receptions i've
> been to.

No good booze?

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"[Don't] assume that someone is "broken" just because they behave in ways
you don't like or don't understand." --Miche

On Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:26:28 -0700, Dan Abel wrote:

> In article >,
> blake murphy > wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:35:11 -0600, Christine Dabney wrote:
>
>>> And a good country ham, of which is true Smithfield ham is the king,
>>> is something fabulous to eat.
>>>
>>
>> true. it was the only redeeming feature so some wedding receptions i've
>> been to.
>
> No good booze?

i think i was too young for the bar at that time.

your pal,
blake

George Shirley wrote:
> George wrote:
>> sf wrote:
>>> On Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:01:32 -0600, "Dale P" > wrote:
>>>
>>>> The ham has a great texture and taste. Cooks has been acquired by
>>>> Smithfield, so I think the changes are not going to be for the good.
>>>
>>> That's an interesting comment. I would think "Smithfield" and think
>>> that's good... but you don't seem to think so. Why?
>>
>> There are two very different "Smithfields". One is a mega giant packer
>> that produces products for big box that according to some friends that
>> are in food production and follow that stuff is owned by the Chinese:
>>
>> http://www.smithfieldfoods.com/
>>
>> then there is Smithfield:
>>
>> http://www.smithfield.com/
>>
>>
>>
> Yeah, but! If you click on the Smithfield icon on your first URL it
> leads you to the second URL. Smithfield foods owns Armour, Smithfield,
> etc. and Smithfield.com is just the home page for the Paula Deen recipes
> and Smithfield hams. What difference is there in the two.

I confused things. I talked to my friend and he said that Smithfield is
owned by the Chinese including what used to be the better than big box
quality Smithfield ham brand. He also said Hatfield (Hatfield, PA) which
is a large pork packer is now owned by the Chinese.

Christine Dabney > wrote:
>
> When I was over that way a few years back, I picked up some packages
> of country ham at one of the markets. *They are still in my pantry....
> I think I got some slices for biscuits, and a few other slices, say
> for seasoning. * *My regret is that I didn't get a full ham when I was
> there...they were on sale in one of the markets.

One time Costco had Canadian proscuitto in half hams.
I froze one, sliced the other immediately.

> I did learn the hard way years ago, about the cooking of them. *If
> they are soaked and cooked wrong, then they are dry, dusty and make
> you wonder what folks see in them. *

I learned the hard way that freezing the one before slicing it
was a bad idea. The one I sliced, those slices went in the
freezer and fridge. We used them as a spice and for flavoring
as usual and it lasted about a year. Then we tried to thaw
the frozen one and it wasn't good enough once thawed.

I've gotten American style country hams and learned the
exact same experience all over again - Slice immediately
and the slices get used, but freeze and it never does get
used.

We tried roasting a country ham as shown on Good Eats
and it just came out like a slightly more salty than usual
city ham. Not what I'd expected.