the real ham king
lindsay: would you like to try some of this?
buster: [tasting] so watery…yet there’s a smack of ham to it.
lindsay: …it’s hot ham water!
—
in warren, john and i drove by a place called “ham king II.” unfortunately for our curiosity, but more fortunately for our stomachs, we satisfied ourselves with a slow driveby of the fairly dilapidated storefront – plastic tarp for windows, dinginess abounded. we also passed “ham cafe,” which we also graced with a driveby, but no economic patronage.
instead, star market got my economic patronage when i returned from warren, interested in making a ham (not just for my own curiosity, but also for keith, whom i imagine subconsciously pining for ham over any other form of pork save bacon). well, just you try getting a ham in july. they’re not so much in demand in cambridge, at whole foods, harvest, or star market. i had intended to do a ham for july 4, but ended up doing barbecued ribs instead because i couldn’t find a ham. a week later, i still couldn’t find a true, thanksgiving-style ham, so i settled for a bone-in smoked pork butt from star market.
the ham that keith always mentions is one i made for lmf diner de noel back in maybe sophomore year: a traditional spiral-cut ham, baked with slices of pineapple applied liberally. i didn’t quite want to do just a pineapple ham, despite some great comments in pineapple-based ham recipes on epicurious: “my son even asked for more pineapple because it was fruit that tasted like ham!” and it’s been a while since i’ve made a ham, so i felt a little like i should match my ham recipe to my oh so sophisticated adult life that i lead nowadays. i still went with epicurious – a honey-thyme glazed baked ham, which called for steaming it for a while, then glazing it for a while. i felt like the ham should still have some pineapple in it somewhere, so i steamed the ham in a couple of small cans of pineapple juice, then later used the pineapple-infused pan juices with the leftover glaze to make a gravy/jus of sorts.
the final product was pretty good. i wish it had been a bit more tender – somehow the exterior wasn’t that tender, despite the steaming it got, probably due to the lack of fat layer over the top of the ham. the glaze was good – not too sweet, and not too thyme-y. i think i would add more cider vinegar, though, to balance out the honey flavor a bit more. the smoked flavor of the ham was also a good balance for the sweetness of the glaze, i think. i would have to try it again with a more traditional ham to know the effect of the smoked pork butt for sure. we had enough ham for six people, plus leftovers for a couple days.
i often overdo dinner when i have people over, but this time i seem to have calculated more effectively, adding simple accompaniments to balance out the ham. for drinks, aviators on request (or rather, to inflict on test subjects) and peach iced tea (harney + sons from last season, lightly sweetened and lemon-ed). for sides, mashed potatoes (california white – i like using the waxy potatoes for mashing) and creamed peas that i started in a bit of bacon fat and finished with shredded basil. all in all, an excellent success – the sides + ham were a more harmonious trio than i usually manage, and not overwrought at all. for the peas, i mixed frozen petite peas with some real english peas, partly for novelty and the hope that fresh peas make a difference flavor-wise, and partly because i really enjoy shelling peas. i would normally do dessert, but haven’t had the endurance to do it in addition to dinner for a while, so mary brought an excellent blueberry-plum buckle.
honey-thyme glazed ham
16 oz pineapple juice
1 smoked pork butt, approximately 6-10 lbs, preferably bone-in; or get a spiral-cut ham
4 1/2 T butter
3T chopped thyme
1/2c cider vinegar
3/4c mild honey
2t worcestershire sauce
1. preheat the oven to 325F, positioning the rack in the bottom third. peel off rind or skin from ham, leaving a quarter inch of fat on the ham, at most (there was not cap of fat on the pork butt i bought; if this is the case for you, just pull off excessive fat). score a diamond crosshatch pattern into the fat without cutting into the meat. put ham on a rack in a large roasting pan, pour the pineapple juice into the pan. put a piece of parchment paper on top of the ham, then cover the ham + pan with foil so it’s one closed entity. bake for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
2. while the ham is baking, make the glaze. melt the butter and thyme in a small saucepan and let foam for about 10-15 minutes. boil the cider vinegar in another saucepan until it’s reduced to a couple tablespoons. remove from heat and whisk in the honey, worcestershire sauce, and thyme butter. you might have to whisk it for a bit to get the whole thing to emulsify together. let glaze stand while the ham finishes baking.
3. when the ham is done steaming, remove from oven (keep the oven on though) and discard foil and parchment paper. brush the glaze on the ham and return to oven, reducing temperature to 300F. bake for another hour, re-glazing every 10 minutes or so. after the hour is up, remove ham from oven and move the ham to a serving platter; let stand at least 15 minutes before carving. pour all pineapple liquids and glaze drippings to a saucepan and reduce until it reaches a syrupy consistency. skim the jus and serve in a bowl with the ham.
[serves 6]
creamed peas
4 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut in half
4-5 cups petite peas, frozen or fresh
a handful of fresh basil leaves
1/3c to 1/2c light cream
1. put the bacon in a skillet and turn to medium heat. cook the bacon until crispy and fat is rendered, about 15-20 minutes. leave the fat in the skillet. pat the bacon dry with paper towels or napkins and eat it. go ahead, eat the bacon. you deserve it.
2. add the peas. cook until the peas are almost all cooked through, about 10 minutes or so. add the basil and cook a few more minutes. add the cream and cook until the cream reduces a bit, about 10-15 minutes, but watch it to make sure your peas don’t get mushy. the idea is to add enough cream to coat the peas, but not so much that they’re swimming in it. then the basil, cream and peas all meld together with some smoky, bacony overtones; the cream will also make the peas stick to each other a bit, making them easier to eat.
3. you can keep the peas on low to keep them warm for up to a half hour.
[serves 6]