Alton Brown’s City Ham (Gingersnap Crust) - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a country ham and a city ham? ›

The difference between city and country ham comes down to how they're cured. Country hams are cured by dry-brining for several months, while city hams are wet brined for a much shorter amount of time and kept fresh thanks to the advent of refrigeration.

City hams are produced using modern moist-curing methods. The cure is injected into the ham in a brine form. The process takes much less time compared to that of country ham. The result is a moist and tender ham that is characterized by its sweet flavor.

Place the ham in a pyrex baking dish or roasting pan and set in a 250 degree oven. Cook for at least eight hours. Turn the oven off and allow the ham to sit in the oven until you are ready for carving. We usually go to church and come back and eat the ham and it's still really warm and tender.

Both ham and bacon are high in protein, but they also contain a significant amount of fat and sodium. As you can see, bacon is significantly higher in calories, fat, and sodium than ham. Ham is a better source of protein per calorie than bacon. However, bacon does contain slightly more protein per serving than ham.

The shank end (or leg portion) sports that classic ham profile, so it's a good choice for a picture-perfect table. The meat tends to be leaner and it has one long bone, which makes carving easier. The butt end (the top half of the ham) has more tender, fattier meat, lending a richer flavor.

If necessary, soak the gammon (ham) in cold water to reduce saltiness, according to butcher or packet instructions (most do not need this anymore as curing methods have changed). Weigh to calculate the cooking time. Place in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.

Method. Put the gammon into a large saucepan and pour on enough cold water to cover. Add the carrots, leek, onion, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 3 hours, topping up with more boiling water if necessary.

After the ham has cooked for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, brush the surface with some of the glaze. Then pop it back into the oven, uncovered, for another 20 minutes or so.

What is grandmother ham? ›

About this product: A fully boned leg which is hand trimmed and tied with the skin left over, then smoked over german beech. A full Grandmother Ham is approximately 3 to 5kg, a half Grandmother Ham approximately 2 to 3kg.

Country hams are dry-cured and may also be smoked. Country hams are not as common as city hams in the U.S., especially in more urban areas. Country hams can be eaten just as they are since they are preserved. They have a very salty taste and a drier texture compared to city hams.

Place the ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the center of the ham. (It should not touch the bone of a bone-in ham.) Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until ham registers the desired temperature (140°F for pre-cooked ham).

Heat oven to 325°F. Remove all packaging materials. Place ham, cut/flat side down, on rack in shallow roasting pan; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Heat approximately 18 to 23 minutes per pound until heated through.

Heating above 135 degrees will only detract from taste and tenderness. Re-cooking or prolonged heating will always make cooked meat tough and in the case of cured hams, the meat will be crumbly. The same is true for any fully cooked or cured meat such as wieners or sliced ham.

Production. Country hams are salt-cured (with or without nitrites) for one to three months. They are usually hardwood smoked (usually hickory and red oak), but some types of country ham, such as the "salt-and-pepper ham" of North Carolina, are not smoked.

Hams may be fresh, cured or cured-and-smoked. Ham is the cured leg of pork. Fresh ham is an uncured leg of pork. Fresh ham will bear the term "fresh" as part of the product name and is an indication that the product is not cured.

Country hams tend to be extremely salty when first purchased, so salty that they take a day to soak in water to remove excess salt. The texture of the hams differs significantly. Country hams are denser, drier, and more intensely flavored. City hams are softer, plump, and have a sweeter, but less intense flavor.

The same regulations govern all dry-cured hams produced in the United States, whether country or prosciutto style. Dry-curing with salt helps prevent bacterial growth, making the hams safe to eat uncooked. The regulations leave room for stylistic differences.