Ham Failure

I give up. From now on I am only buying country ham slices. I don't know what I was thinking buying a whole country ham in the first place. This is not your regular ham. This is a southern, heavily salted and smoked, country ham. The kind that is sliced very thin and served with black eyed gravy. I soaked this thing for 3 days. Then I baked it for 5 hours. Then I wrestled the skin and fat off of it. Then I tried to slice it. It was really difficult to slice. Then I was overwhelmed by the smokey smell. It was horribly strong and I m very sensitive to smells. Then I threw it away. I know when to admit defeat. I'm showing my northern here.


Then I made Rice Krispy treats. I hate making Rice Krispy treats but my family loves them so I made them anyway. I used scraped vanilla beans in them for flavor. If you click on the pic you can see the little browns seeds.


I hate making them because it takes forever for the marshmallow to melt.


I also made a grits casserole to freeze for the kids to take back with them. This is a really good recipe if you like grits:

prepare 2 cups of stone ground grits according to package directions

16 oz. bulk breakfast sausage

6 eggs

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated gouda cheese

salt and pepper

Brown and drain sausage. Lightly whisk the eggs. Mix the grits, sausage, eggs, cheeses and salt and pepper. Pour this mixture into a 2 qt. casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set in the middle.

Comments

Oh man, that ham looks delicious. I know it was tough, but probably made great minced ham for soups and ground ham for a ham loaf. Can you tell I would NOT have thrown it away LOL? You have been so busy cooking, I can see how the frustration would of won out.
Sharon Day said…
I'm a huge grits and cheese fan-my #1 comfort food. Too bad about the ham but some things are better to get from professionals who make their lives ham. You don't want your house to become a smokehouse. hee hee
Anonymous said…
That ham sounds a bit like our christmas ham, except for the smoked part. But we eat thick slices of it :-)

I´ve never tried rice krispy treats and since I often have very little patience I think I´ll skip making it :-) :-) :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.
Anonymous said…
I hear the frustration in your voice and know exactly what you're talking about , I've had the same thing happen.I just put a honey spiral ham in the oven.I cooked one just like this at Thanksgiving and it was great but I've cooked ham like the one you have in the photo and man oh man its strong,,I guess great minds think alike because I made rice Krispy squares as well.LOLI am new to blogging and I have to say,, your blog I visit everyday ,,, thankyou for sharing,, back to my ham,,,
brokenteepee said…
Mmmm, I love rice krispie treats.
SharleneT said…
Okay, I've got to ask, how many times did you drain and soak the ham? It's like Yankee Boxed Cod, it needs to be covered, soaked, and drained, for the 5 days before you can cook it. Doesn't lose the smoky flavor, just the salt. I'm guessing that was left off the label. I hate when that happens -- but, don't give up! If you give up, I have nothing to look forward to re ham from your kitchen!

Sorry, I'm probably the only person in the whole world who doesn't care for Rice Krispy Treats, but yours look great!

Now, back to the ham!
Every great chef has an Achilles Heel. Yours must be ham. Yes, throw it away and we'll never speak of it again.
Yum, Rice Crispie Treats. Haven't made those forever. I melt my marshmellows in the microwave, only takes about a minute and a half. You are over worked this week my friend.
~~~ Costco for ham today...not my proudest moment...but i have been in Ham Hell before...so i knew i would just throw in the towel ....and get that damn Costco ham...and i am even slapping on the glaze that came with it...

just old fashion here...biscuits,scalloped potatoes, lima beans and a lemon merigue pie...can't even beleive i am going to admit this...but i bought baby yellow carnations too...
feels like 1962 over here this Easter.
~ Jayne ~ said…
Order a Schaller & Weber ham from your butcher or on-line : both their Swedish & Black Forest Hams are excellent and easy to prepare.
FreeDragon said…
Ever tried putting ham in the slow cooker? That's what I do.
Anonymous said…
Oh Jaz the things we do and attempt for love of family ☺
I know sometimes the people smoking add to much smoke flavour , my sil encountered this before buying a 1/2 pig from her friend they had it perpared by a couple just starting the meat processing business and I guess they were nervous to keep things bateria free and used way to much smoke .
I've also learned of but never done it myself that the french Caanadians boil the ham for hrs first . that always seemed to me you'd end up with a stringy tough ham but that is apparently how they do it.
I can only afford the smoked shoulder as it is very cheap. I steam bake it for 3 hrs . It is good sleiced but as stock I have to dilute the stock so much as it is extremely salty.
I think if the slices have worked for you before , why change a good thing ☺
lol okay confession time , when I've been pregnant I have eaten a whole krispie cake all by myself ! in one day !
I do like grits ! and will try out the recipe.
Thanks a bunch
lov rox
Tammy said…
Yes ma'am, gotta change the water often, and keep in mind it won't ever be what you could call tender, and it'll still be salty. Of course you know all that already.

My Yankee husband loves country ham!
Anonymous said…
That looks absolutely wonderful. Eventhough you hate making them, I would love to try the treats. They look so yummy !!!
Have a great day.
Suzie said…
I'm so sorry that your ham didn't work out as you had envisioned, but do you know what a comfort that is to the rest of us, that you too, have a faux pas every once in a while?

You have been making SO much food this week, I'm sure that the uncooperative ham will never be missed.

I don't personally care for rice krispie treats either, but my kids love them. And I've copied down your grits casserole recipe for future use. My Hubs & Mom will love it, I'm sure! Thanks!!
petoskystone said…
the worst food smell i can ever recall was around 35-40 years ago, in germany (yes, i was a very young girl) & my mother decided to try her hand at leg of lamb. unfortunately, what she bought was mutton. gods...the smell from hours of roasting...then it was as tough as shoe leather! horrendous. sorry about your ham, it was indeed a valiant effort.
Rosemary said…
Oh my what a pain to have the ham turn out tough... spiral ham for me this year with glaze included ........ I too use the microwave to melt marshmallows for rice krispie squares... Still I bet your Easter dinner will be a smash success..
Sorry about the ham, it's sounds like a Virginia ham, those are the real salty ones. The pink sweet ham is what I think of as southern.

I love(s) rice crispy treats.

Happy Easter.

xoxo to "Teddy Furry Bunny Chow".
Candace said…
I'm so sorry about the ham...know that I've made the same mistake, too! I really think it's a "Southern" thing! Once we stopped at a historic place in Tennessee called Traveler's Rest. There was an old smokehouse out back that hadn't been used since after the Civil War - you could still smell the smoke from the hams!
Happy Easter!
Chris said…
Ham is horrible for us anyway...pretty much just fat and salt and with the yukky glazes too much sugar too!
Oh what we do for our loved ones!!
floweringmama said…
Oh my heart just broke into a million tiny little salty, smoked pieces.

Happy Easter to you and yours.
Anonymous said…
The older I get the less I enjoy ham and I think the smell may be it. I love the twist you put on your rice krispie treats. And grits??? Girl born in the south here.
Cathy said…
When we lived in Virginia everyone made those Virginia smoked hams, and as everyone says, you have to soak and drain for 5 days. Too much trouble for me. Honey Baked Ham from their store from here on out! Already sliced, glazed and delicious! We all love Rice Krispie Treats but I gave up on the pan method nearly 20 years ago and only melt the marshmallows in the microwave. So much easier! Your Gumbo looks fantastic!