Country Ham

Country Ham

When buying a country ham, make sure that the ham is soft all over when mashed with your thumb and that the skin is not dry and hard. Allow plenty of time to prepare a country ham. It soaks and cooks for a long while. Use leftovers to make sandwiches and biscuits.

• 1 country ham (12-14 lbs)

Glaze:

• ½ cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Scrub the ham with a brush under warm running water and put it in a large pot to soak. Cover the ham with cold water and let soak for 6 hours minimum, or overnight if desired. Rinse the ham and then put it back into the pot and put in enough hot water to almost cover the ham. Let the water come to a boil, and then turn the heat down to low. Add the brown sugar and molasses, and let simmer for 3 hours, adding hot water as needed to keep the ham covered. Remove the ham from the pot, let it cool a bit, and then trim off the skin and most of the fat, leaving only a thin layer. Mix together the glaze ingredients and brush them over the ham. Put the ham in a large baking pan and cover with foil. Bake the ham in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let the ham stay inside until cool. 

Serves about 15.