"We eyed each other suspiciously..."

[serinde]

In my continuing effort to think outside the box for holiday dinner, I determined that we should have a ham for Christmas. (Well, it's outside the box for the customs of MY people, okay?) Since we have a "Swiss Pork Store" within walking distance of the house, and since it closes at 6 so I can't get there after work, and since Steve was off work all this week slack bastard that he is, I commissioned him to go procure us a ham to feed 7. And this he did.

However, I'm not quite sure how to approach it. For one thing, it doesn't seem to have a bone in it; I don't even see a place for a bone. For another, it's somewhat unclear to me whether it's partially, fully, or not at all cooked. For a third, it doesn't smell smoked to me, but I can't quite tell if it's cured or wholly fresh. (I guess, to be a ham, it HAS to be cured in some way, doesn't it?)

The pretty Xmastide sticker on the package has no data. It lists their web site, which is quite dead. And it's not in the Wayback Machine. (NOTHING I want is in the Wayback Machine.) And they're closed today and tomorrow.

My intent is to boil it in cider with sundry veg--another recipe from Her Nigellaness--and then finish it with a short bake in the oven, a Joy of Cooking contribution. But I don't know how long I need to make the first stage. It could be anything from 3 hours to 40 minutes. *wibble*.

(Rest of the menu for them as are curious: pease pudding {THAT'S RIGHT. FEAR THE PUDDING TIN}, scalloped potatoes probably au gratin, leeks & carrots cooked in the same pot as the ham, applesauce, and, if I get particularly ambitious, pureed chestnuts. And li'l mince pies!)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

Even if it is a cured ham, you should be able to boil it just fine, so this is handy guaranteed-to-cook-it method. It may be a boneless ham, I'm used to large boneless gammon joints in Denmark. If you put it in a large pot perhaps half full of cider and vegetables, cover the pot, and boil it gently awhile until the center is hot (... you have a meat thermometer, right?) it should be fine. Maybe, an hour or an hour and a half? You can always leave it to rest awhile in the pot, it won't go wrong if you don't serve it the moment you think it's cooked.

[tayefeth.livejournal.com]

And if, by some act of deity, you don't have a meat thermometer, send someone over to borrow ours.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

Got one, thanks. :)

[lillilah]

Yeah, the gang here says that as long as the center is up to 160° you are okay. I'm going to have to look into making mince pies. I always want to try pudding, but I can't tolerate the lard.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

Actually, there are a lot of non-historical steamed pudding recipes (like, there are some in the Fannie Farmer cookbook that came with Steve) that call for butter or shortening rather than lard or suet. The steamed cranberry pudding I made a few weeks ago was like that.

[blarglefiend.livejournal.com]

As you know, I'm not exactly a cooking expert, but anyway.

Ham doesn't particularly need to be cooked, at least not if it's an actual ham rather than an appropriate cut of pork for turning into a ham. So really what you're doing is heating it up and mixing flavours with other stuff -- it's not going to come out undercooked whatever you do.

Ham is pretty common for Christmas meals here but then a "traditional" Australian Christmas lunch usually involves cold stuff. Cold ham, cold (cooked) chicken or turkey, salads, quiche, cold seafood, that sort of thing. But then again it's usually stinking hot here at this time of year -- today it's raining and might just hit 16C so a hot meal could've been good, but too late now!