First time ham maker here.. Do the regular bone in ham that most groceries
sell have a rind on them? If so how do you remove it? All the 'recipes' I
want to use say to remove it.. Or at least many of them do.

I remember my mom saying she always bought the shank end or did not buy the
shank end..reason? Will the label say what they are (shank end or ?) Or can
I determine by looking at the ham ? A half a ham is all we want.

Thanks in advance...

Laura

"Laura" > wrote in message
...
> First time ham maker here.. Do the regular bone in ham that most groceries
> sell have a rind on them? If so how do you remove it? All the 'recipes'
I
> want to use say to remove it.. Or at least many of them do.

Sorry, can't answer this one.
>
> I remember my mom saying she always bought the shank end or did not buy
the
> shank end..reason? Will the label say what they are (shank end or ?) Or
can
> I determine by looking at the ham ? A half a ham is all we want.

About 5 years ago I finally figured I didn't really know why I was buying
what I was buying. Probably price. So I asked the butcher. He said the
shank portion was usually larger but had more bones, so you paid for more,
but got less meat. The butt portion had more meat, less bones, and tended
to be less dry when cooked. The shank portion was priced less than the butt
portion. He said the difference in price did not usually make up for the
difference in meat.

HTH

Judy
>
> Thanks in advance...
>
> Laura
>
>
>

Judy and Dave G wrote:

> "Laura" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>First time ham maker here.. Do the regular bone in ham that most groceries
>>sell have a rind on them? If so how do you remove it? All the 'recipes'
>
> I
>
>>want to use say to remove it.. Or at least many of them do.
>
>
> Sorry, can't answer this one.
>
>>I remember my mom saying she always bought the shank end or did not buy
>
> the
>
>>shank end..reason? Will the label say what they are (shank end or ?) Or
>
> can
>
>>I determine by looking at the ham ? A half a ham is all we want.
>
>
> About 5 years ago I finally figured I didn't really know why I was buying
> what I was buying. Probably price. So I asked the butcher. He said the
> shank portion was usually larger but had more bones, so you paid for more,
> but got less meat. The butt portion had more meat, less bones, and tended
> to be less dry when cooked. The shank portion was priced less than the butt
> portion. He said the difference in price did not usually make up for the
> difference in meat.
>
> HTH
>
> Judy
>


Some of us think the shank tastes better (because it's dryer maybe?), and
the bones are good for flavoring bean soup. If you actually *want* the
bones, the 10¢ per pound less that a shank costs does make up for the lower
yield.

Bob

"Laura" > writes:

>Do the regular bone in ham that most groceries
>sell have a rind on them? If so how do you remove it? All the 'recipes' I
>want to use say to remove it.. Or at least many of them do.

If it does have a "rind" on it, you sort of peel it off while cutting the
connective tissue between the rind and the muscle with a knife. It's not all
that difficult. Leave about a quarter inch of the fat, and cook with fat side
up, ordinarily. If you take off every shred of the fat, your ham will be too
dry. Then save the rind in the freezer (along with the bone) to use for
seasoning later.

The butt end is leaner and has less bones. If you have no intention of using
the rind and/or bone for seasoning later, get the butt end if the price is
right. The shank end may have been your mom's choice if she DID make use of the
scraps.

Connie
************************************************** ***
My mind is like a steel...um, whatchamacallit.

"Judy and Dave G" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Laura" > wrote in message
> ...
> > First time ham maker here.. Do the regular bone in ham that most
groceries
> > sell have a rind on them? If so how do you remove it? All the
'recipes'
> I
> > want to use say to remove it.. Or at least many of them do.
>
> Sorry, can't answer this one.
> >
> > I remember my mom saying she always bought the shank end or did not buy
> the
> > shank end..reason? Will the label say what they are (shank end or ?) Or
> can
> > I determine by looking at the ham ? A half a ham is all we want.
>
> About 5 years ago I finally figured I didn't really know why I was buying
> what I was buying. Probably price. So I asked the butcher. He said the
> shank portion was usually larger but had more bones, so you paid for more,
> but got less meat. The butt portion had more meat, less bones, and tended
> to be less dry when cooked. The shank portion was priced less than the
butt
> portion. He said the difference in price did not usually make up for the
> difference in meat.
>

Are you sure? I may be mixed up but I thought that the shank half was the
knee end of the ham and had only one bone, while the butt half was the hip
end and had more bones.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Everyone, thank you..is the ham labeled (sounds like not?) or can you tell
by looking at it which end it is?? or will I ask? We were going to use the
bone for some split pea soup later, plus the 'yield' of meat it not really a
concern - only 4 of us but we LOVE leftovers!!

--

Laura


"ConnieG999" > wrote in message
...
> "Laura" > writes:
>
> >Do the regular bone in ham that most groceries
> >sell have a rind on them? If so how do you remove it? All the 'recipes'
I
> >want to use say to remove it.. Or at least many of them do.
>
> If it does have a "rind" on it, you sort of peel it off while cutting the
> connective tissue between the rind and the muscle with a knife. It's not
all
> that difficult. Leave about a quarter inch of the fat, and cook with fat
side
> up, ordinarily. If you take off every shred of the fat, your ham will be
too
> dry. Then save the rind in the freezer (along with the bone) to use for
> seasoning later.
>
> The butt end is leaner and has less bones. If you have no intention of
using
> the rind and/or bone for seasoning later, get the butt end if the price is
> right. The shank end may have been your mom's choice if she DID make use
of the
> scraps.
>
> Connie
> ************************************************** ***
> My mind is like a steel...um, whatchamacallit.
>

"Peter Aitken" > writes:

>> About 5 years ago I finally figured I didn't really know why I was buying
>> what I was buying. Probably price. So I asked the butcher. He said the
>> shank portion was usually larger but had more bones, so you paid for more,
>> but got less meat. The butt portion had more meat, less bones, and tended
>> to be less dry when cooked. The shank portion was priced less than the
>butt
>> portion. He said the difference in price did not usually make up for the
>> difference in meat.
>>
>
>Are you sure? I may be mixed up but I thought that the shank half was the
>knee end of the ham and had only one bone, while the butt half was the hip
>end and had more bones.

The butt half contains the same bone as the shank half (femur) and also the
aitch bone (a piece of the pelvic bone - illium). And even though the portion
of femur in the butt half is thicker the meat to bone ratio still favors the
butt half being the better deal. The butt half costs only a few pennys more a
pound than the shank half so it is definitley a better buy. Usually buying the
whole ham is the best buy, if you can use it all... or have the butcher cut it
for you if there's no charge, otherwise it's a simple matter to cut it yourself
at home, if you own a hacksaw fitted with a new high speed steel blade, 12
pitch. I sometimes bone whole hams and then freeze the shank half to use
later; pound flat, stuff, roll, and tie, then dry roast or braise.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."