Editor's Note: The Busy Kitchen is a Monday column written by two area chefs - Tiffany Poe and Valarie Carter - who also happen to be mothers of young children. They explore nutrition, cooking for kids and more.
I don't know why I don't think about preparing and serving ham more often. Pig-headed, I guess.
In the back of my mind, I hem it in as a holiday food like Peeps and candy corn (Is that food?). But I shouldn't. Ham is delicious, versatile, accessible, and affordable. At about half the price per pound as ground beef, and even considering that you're paying for a non-edible bone, ham is pretty cheap eats. Besides, that non-edible bone makes some pretty fantastic edible seasoning for soups and beans.
I bought one of the supposedly better brand bone-in butt portion hams. It cost $2.69 per pound but I didn't find it to be any tastier and if anything a little saltier than the less expensive brand at $1.59 per pound. I could have saved myself a dollar a pound and the cost of the diuretics. Not really.
If you're wondering about the difference in the bone-in butt portion and the bone-in shank portion, here's the errr... skinny. The butt end comes from the upper thigh and has a rounded end, whereas the shank end comes from the lower portion of the leg and has a pointed or tapered end. Either will work well for these recipes. You can certainly buy the boneless ham but I don't think it's nearly as tasty. Don't pay the unnecessary extra price for spiral-cut ham for these applications. In this case, cheaper is better.
If you've never roasted a ham, you're in for a happy surprise. It's already cooked! All you need to do is warm it through - usually takes 10-12 minutes per pound at 325 degrees. The ham wrapper directions indicate to turn the ham cut side down but I actually like the cut side exposed so that it gets some good caramelization.
For these meals, you're going to need a large ham, say 7-8 pounds. If all these recipes sound great and you're feeding a family of 6 or more, consider buying 2 hams. This is a great way to prepare for a significant number of meals, making the job that much easier later in your week. You can freeze it if you have too much. I like to wrap it well in aluminum foil and then again in plastic film wrap. Is there really such a thing as too much pig?
And if you happen to have any ham left after all these recipes, a nice glass of Sancerre or bubbly would pair perfectly with plain ole ham.
Day 1 Menu
- Roasted Ham
- Sweet potatoes - roasted in the skin or Busy Kitchen sweet potato fries
- Spinach salad with fresh red, yellow and orange bell peppers
- Fresh bakery bread
1. Prepare ham as directed on wrapper. When the ham is done, carve slices for tonight's dinner and carve the rest of the ham off of the bone. Reserve ham and bone for later in the week.
2. Make one recipe of sweet potato fries or alternatively roast sweet potatoes in the skin. Simply prick the potatoes a few times with a fork to release steam and place in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 45 minutes or until fork tender.
3. While the potatoes are baking, prepare a fresh spinach salad with bell peppers using your choice of dressing and toppings. Get creative! Save about a cup of spinach and chop up an extra bell pepper for strata and quiche later in the week.
CRISPY BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES
Serves approx. 6
4 large sweet potatoes, well scrubbed with any roots removed
Cornstarch for dusting, 2-3 tablespoons in a gallon size, zip-top bag
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper for seasoning
1. Pre-heat oven to 425.
2. Slice sweet potatoes into approximately 4-inch long and 1/4-inch fries (leaving the skin on is OK). The length isn't important but you'll want the thicknesses to be about the same for uniform cooking.
3. Working in batches, place fries in bag of cornstarch. Coat very lightly, shake off any excess and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Leave plenty of space between the fries or they'll just steam and turn out soggy. You'll probably need 2-3 baking sheets.
4. Liberally drizzle olive oil over sweet potatoes, coating well. Use a spatula to turn them as needed to ensure complete coverage. More fat will yield a crispier fry.
5. Bake for 15 minutes and then give them a good shake or flip with a spatula. Continue baking for another 10-15 minutes depending on your oven. The fries should be golden and crispy. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Day 2 Menu
- Ham and mustard black-eyed peas or beans of your choice.
- Try navy beans, Northern beans or Anasazi to change it up.
- Rustic cornbread - See previous Busy Kitchen article at this link
- This would be a great time to prepare an old-fashioned relish tray with pickles, olives and other fresh and pickled vegetables.
Beans preparation
1. The day before you are going to prepare the beans, soak them in water. Use at least 3 times the volume of the beans. I usually cook 2 pounds of beans so that I have plenty of leftovers to freeze for a meal down the line. (FYI: Rather than soak the beans overnight, you could do a quick soak if you are pressed for time. Simply cover the beans with at least 3 times as much water, bring to a boil, boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let rest 2 hours.)
2. On the day you cook the beans, drain and rinse them. Place beans in a Crockpot along with one finely chopped white or yellow onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, a bay leaf, 2 tablespoons dried herbs de Provence, 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard and the reserved ham bone. Add about 2 times the amount of water as beans and other ingredients.
3. Cook the beans several hours and until they are tender. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove bay leaf. You can also cook the beans on the stove top in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Day 3 Menu
- Ham, cheese and bell pepper strata
- Fresh green vegetable of your choice
HAM, CHEESE AND BELL PEPPER STRATA
Serves 12
1 large loaf French Bread (about 1 pound), cut into small cubes
(Anytime we have French bread or any good quality baguette, I always cube the leftovers and freeze for just such an occasion as strata. It's totally fine to use some of the leftover cornbread too)
1 pound diced ham, about 2 cups (you could used shaved or chopped also)
1 small onion, small dice
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 pound grated cheese, gruyere, Swiss, cheddar, fontina, etc
1.5 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
9 eggs
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Butter for greasing dish
1. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.
2. Place bread cubes in dish followed by layers of ham, diced onion, bell pepper and ending with grated cheese.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together milk, cream, eggs, garlic, thyme, mustard, salt, cayenne and black pepper.
4. Pour custard mixture over strata and gently push dry ingredients into wet mixture.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to two days.
6. When ready to bake, remove strata from refrigeration, remove plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
8. Bake strata for 40-45 minutes or until custard is set in the middle and bread is golden brown.
9. Freezes well so save it if you don't need it this week.
Day 4 Menu
Note: save for weekend brunch if you don't need it for dinner)
- Ham and cheese quiche - feel free to throw in some of those leftover bell peppers, too.
- Fruit salad, spinach or green salad
HAM, CHEESE AND SPINACH QUICHE
1 8-9 inch chilled, unbaked pastry (pie) shell - your favorite recipe or store-bought.
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cup whole milk - your choice of whole, low-fat or skim
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 pound grated cheese - I used sharp white cheddar but be creative and use your favorite
8 oz ham, small dice
1/2 white onion, finely chopped (you can certainly sauté this first if desired)
1 cup spinach, wilted in a little butter or olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, thyme, salt and peppers.
3. Stir in cheese, ham, onion and spinach.
4. Pour into chilled pastry shell and bake for 35-40 minutes depending on your oven or until quiche is set but still slightly jiggly in the very middle and golden brown.
5. Allow to cool about 20 minutes and serve or cool until room temperature and refrigerate up to 3 days.
You can't possibly have any ham left after all these recipes but if you do, here's one more idea. Ham salad. Just finely grind any leftover ham in a food processor. Stir in a little Hellman's mayo to bind it and season with whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, and sweet pickle relish. Horseradish would also be a good substitution for the mustard.
A native Oklahoman, Valarie Carter earned a bachelor's degree in English from Oklahoma State University and an associate's degree in culinary arts from the Art Institute of Atlanta. She, her husband and their children live in Bixby.
Original Print Headline: Ham - it's not just for holidays
Food
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