Our Favorite Recipes

 

 

Fried Country Ham Recipes

 

 

Sliced Country Ham Slices 

Sprinkle both sides of Country Ham Slices with brown sugar and black pepper.  Brown both sides in skillet over low temperature.  Cover for 5 minutes to tenderize.

 

Red Eye Gravy with Fried Country Ham 

After ham is fried pour dripping into small bowl, add just enough hot water to skillet to dissolve residue, stir, let boil and pour into bowl.  This is your red gravy, which is delicious on hot biscuits 

 

 

 

 

Country Fried Ham

Ham should be sliced about 1/4 of an inch thick.Trim off rind and the dark outer edge of meat side.  Do not trim off fat;  this adds flavor in frying and no shortening is needed.Put slices with fat toward the center in medium hot, heavy skillet (340 degrees electric skillet), turning several times while frying.  Warning:  Do not over-fry, as it will become hard and dry.  Fry about 5 to 6 minutes.If the ham is higher in salt content than desired, soak in sweet milk about a half hour before frying and add brown sugar while frying.  The brown sugar adds color and flavor to the red gravy.

 

Fried Kentucky Country Ham

 Recipe 1:
Slices should be 1/4 inch thick or less and uniform in thickness.  Trim the edges slightly, removing the skin
if this has not been previously  Use any part of the ham. Place a small amount of fat in a heavy frying pan and preheat (medium heat).  The fat may be lard, bacon drippings, or rendered ham fat.
Place the ham slices in hot fat and cook slowly, turning frequently.  The ham will be done when the fat portion around the edges is slightly brown.  Do not overcook.
Red Gravy:  Remove the ham slices from the pan and pour off any excess fat, leaving only the brown residue.  Add a little water and simmer about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the red gravy over the ham slices as they are served.

Recipe 2:
Start ham steak in a heavy skillet, with just enough water to cover bottom of the pan.
After the water has evaporated, allow the ham to brown on both sides.
Place the ham on a platter, and add ½ cup of water to the pan.  Simmer until the drippings of the meat and water have formed a golden brown natural gravy.
Replace the ham in the gravy for a minute before serving, (Again, do not overcook).

 

 

 

Baked Country Ham Recipes

 

Baked Country Ham
 

Recipe 1:
Clean ham with hot water and stiff brush to remove mold; if mold is very heavy   scrape with knife.  Ham may be soaked overnight to help reduce salt taste.
Cut off about 3 inches of hock, which may be used for seasoning in cooking other foods.
Remove the skin (easier done after cooking while warm); weigh the ham in order to calculate cooking time.
Rub ham with spices or score with whole cloves, and then cover with brown sugar or pure honey, place ham in aluminum foil in cooking vessel, inside the foil pour one-quart water, ginger ale or other liquid around the ham. Crimp foil with tight double fold and bake 30 minutes per pound at 250 degrees or until center of ham registers 170 degrees on a meat thermometer.  Take out of oven and leave in foil until cooled to room temperature.
Discard liquid at the end of baking period. Ham may be glazed after removing skin.  Glaze with brown sugar, ginger ale or fruit juices and spices, place back in moderately hot oven (400 degrees) just long enough to get a golden brown (about 15 minutes).

Recipe 2:
Place the cleaned ham, skin side up, on a rack in an open pan.
Bake, uncovered, in a slow oven (300 degrees F) until tender or until the center of the ham registers 170 degrees F on a meat thermometer.  This will take about 25 to 30 minutes per pound for whole hams.  Use a meat thermometer to take the guesswork out of cooking time.  Insert it till the bulb reaches the center of the ham and does not touch either bone or fat.
Fill the space under the rack of a roasting pan with water to prevent excessive shrinkage.  This should help keep your ham moist and tender.
You may either serve the ham at this stage, or remove the skin, and glaze.
 

Recipe 3:
Cut off about 3 inches of the hock, which may be used for seasoning other foods.
Remove the skin (this may be done before or after cooking).
Rub the ham with spices of your choice (optional), place ham in aluminum foil; and pour in a mixture of
 2 cups of water
1 cup orange juice
1-cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
Fold the foil tightly, place in a pan, and bake 20 minutes per pound at 275 degrees.
Pour out the liquid; remove the skin, if this was not done before cooking, and glaze.

 

 

 

Boiled Country Ham Recipes

 

 

Thick Sliced Country Ham

Cut ham slices 3/4 inch thick, trim off excess fat, if large slices, cut in half.  Put 1/2 cup water in preheated slow cooker.  Cover and cook 1-1/2 hours.  The crumbs and liquid left in cooker will be your red eye gravy; you may add 1/2 cup coffee if not ample liquid.

 

Boiled Kentucky Country Ham

After the ham is prepared for cooking, place on a rack in a pan and cover with boiling water.  One tablespoon of brown sugar or molasses per quart of water may be added. Simmer (do not boil) until the meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F.  (The ham finishes cooking as it cools in the broth.)  Insert the thermometer into the center of the ham so the bulb does not touch fat or bone and the tempeture scale is above the water.  Cooking time is about 15 to 20 minutes per pound for whole hams. Let ham cool in the broth. Follow directions for glazing.

 

 

 

 

Boiled Country Ham

 Put ham in lard can, hock end up, and cover with cold water.  Put on stove and bring to a boil.  Boil hard for twenty minutes.  Remove from burner and place lid on lard can.  Wrap can securely with anything that will retain the heat, such as burlap sacks, blankets, or fiberglass insulation.  Be sure top and bottom of can are covered.Leave ham for twenty-four hours.  Remove from can.  Remove skin and excess fat as desired.  Use your favorite glaze, and put in moderate oven for ten minutes.  I use a dense mixture of dark brown sugar and ginger ale or fruit juices.  Garnish with whole cloves

 

 

Combination Boiled and Baked Kentucky Country Ham

Simmer the ham (2 to 2 1/2 hours for a 12 to 14 pound ham), and then remove the skin. Blend together:
   1-cup brown sugar
   2 tablespoons prepared mustard
   1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
Spread this mixture over the ham.  Pour 1 cup of cider and 1 cup of sherry wine into the baking pan.  Bake, uncovered, in a 250 to 300 degree oven for about 2 hours, or until nicely browned.  Baste frequently.

 

 

 

Glazes and Sauces for Country Ham Recipes

Glazing Baked or Boiled Kentucky Country Ham

After the ham is cooked, remove the skin and use your favorite glaze. Do not overcook ham or it will fall apart when carved.  Use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking or undercooking.
     Remove ham skin with a sharp knife.  If desired, score the fat into 1- or 2-inch squares.
     Cover with one of the glazes given below.
     Insert long-stemmed cloves into each square, or about every inch.
     Bake in a moderately hot oven (350 to 400 degrees F) about 20 minutes or until brown and glazed.

 

Glazes or Coatings For Kentucky Country Ham

     Coat with a mixture of 1-cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons flour or 1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs.
     Coat with brown sugar, and baste with the juice from picked peaches, fruit juice, or sweet cider.
     Mix 1 cup drained, crushed pineapple with 1-cup brown sugar and spread over the ham. Baste often
     with pineapple juice while baking.
     Coat ham with a thin layer of prepared mustard, then sprinkle generously with brown sugar.
     While ham is baking, baste with strained honey.  Maraschino cherry juice or chopped cherries may be
     added to honey.
     Decorate top of ham with thin slices of unpeeled oranges, canned pineapple, or other colorful fruits.
     Baste the ham while it is baking with a thick brown sugar syrup, honey, or fruits juices.  To make
     brown sugar syrup, mix 1-cup sugar with 1/2 cup water and boil for 5 minutes.

Cream Sauce for Kentucky Ham Croquettes

   1 tablespoon butter
   2 tablespoons flour
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   1/16 teaspoon pepper
   1 cup milk
Melt butter.  Add flour, salt, and pepper.  Add
milk slowly, stirring constantly.  Cook slowly to
desired thickness, preferably in a double boiler.

 

 

 

Bourbon Sauce for Kentucky Ham

Power Level: High
Microwave Time: 4 to 5 min. total

1 cup Florida Orange Juice
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon

In 1 qt. Casserole Dish suspend cornstarch in
orange juice with stirring.  Microwave at high setting
for 5 min.  Remove and stir in remaining ingredients.
 Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

 

 

 

Broiled Country Ham Recipes

 

Broiled Kentucky Country Ham

Use only center slices for broiling.  Slices should be at least 1/4 inch thick and uniform in thickness.  Trim the edges slightly, removing the skin if this has not been previously done.  Place slices on a broiler pan about 5 inches from the range broiler unit.  Cook until done, turning once.  Do not overcook. 

 

 

 

Other Country Ham Recipes

 

 

Mother Lorene Gatton's Corn Pudding

 4 Cups corn
 6 eggs
 2/3 Cup sugar
 1 1/2 tsp salt
 1 Tbsp cornstarch
 3 (1/2 pints) whipping cream
 1 stick butter (melted)
 1/2 tsp white pepper

Beat eggs in blender.
Add salt, sugar and cornstarch and beat again.
Pour mixture over corn.
Add melted butter.
Add whipping cream
Stir mixture.
Pour in greased baking dish, drizzle butter on top.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

 

 

Basic Omelet

 2 or 3 eggs
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 pepper
 1 tablespoon melted butter
 1 teaspoon water

Beat eggs, water, melted butter 20-30 seconds, just until the yokes and whites are combined.  Heat small skillet or omelet pan until medium hot (drop of water will dance on pan.)  Add one tablespoon butter; when foam subsides, add eggs.  When eggs are cooked on bottom side, sprinkle 2 tablespoons cooked ground country ham.  Then fold the eggs over like a French pancake and cook for a few seconds.  You may sprinkle the omelet with more of the cooked ground country ham.

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky Country Ham Croquettes

2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups ground Kentucky Country Ham

Melt butter and blend with flour.  Stir milk in gradually. Cook until thick.  Add ham and lemon juice.  Cool thoroughly. Shape into croquettes.  Roll in breadcrumbs.  Dip in beaten egg.  Roll again in bread crumbs. Fry in deep fat.

Cream Sauce for Croquettes

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk

Melt butter.  Add flour, salt, and pepper.  Add milk slowly, stirring constantly.  Cook slowly to desired thickness, preferably in a double boiler.

 

 

Country Ham Salad

1 package Father's ground country ham
1-cup salad dressing
1/2 cup sweet pickle salad cubelets
1-teaspoon pure prepared mustard

Mix well. (Optional: You may use diced pimentos, water chestnuts, and chopped celery.)  Ham salad is delicious toasted on rye bread.  May be used on crackers and is very good stuffed in ripe tomatoes for a salad. 

 

 
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Father's Country Hams, Inc., PO Box 99, KY 42325 - Fax (270)-525-3333 - Tel. 1-877-525-4267