Pies, Oh My

There are worse things than growing old, and not growing old is one of them. I've decided to meet it head on instead of whining and dragging my feet like a tired toddler. There are definite things I do like about aging. I like learning new things and trying to master areas in which I am weak, like pie baking, not power walking or running, mind you. My Aunt Fausta, from Malta, Ohio was the best pie baker I have ever had the pleasure of loving. My father's sister was just all right with life. Anything or anyone she met she accepted, liked, or befriended. I never once saw her unhappy, mean or disgruntled. She had a nice, lazy husband who also liked his lot in life. He taught me to play solitaire, because he had the time. He let her work because she did it so well and so willingly. She could whip up a pie in nothing flat with the crust that could make one weep...not because it included lard (OMG, I wrote 'that' word), but because that flaky crust could hold any thing and make it seem special. One week-end I spent with her trying to perfect the roll out pie crust. We made a dozen or more and I came back to Columbus armed with the filled pies and what I thought was the skill. A week passed, the boys and Andy were napping on Sunday and I had the kitchen to myself. By the time they woke up I had flour in every nook and cranny of the kitchen (and other parts of the house if truth be told) not one crust to admire and five pounds of flour scattered everywhere except in a pie dish. I did have a new list of cuss words that I made up and have found useful through the years. I failed and failed badly at pie baking and have not made a real (roll out) crust on my own for years. There, you have it. I can knuckle in the crumble stuff for tarts etc., but no to the roll out skill.

Now, when I finally thought my life was cooking, Martha Stewart comes out with ANOTHER pies and tarts tome. Her first one is nearly ragged from my drools and thumbings. I once admired Martha because she had little and pulled herself up to make something of herself. I didn't know at the time she did it by standing on many, many shoulders to get where she is today. Any way, back when I admired her, I bought every cookbook, calendar, and video that she produced. I read her books like novels, never knowing that she did not actually write the books. I thought the books' photography was stellar. So this morning, there it is, the doyenne takes aim right at the sweet spot: Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts. Thank you very much! I'm not sure I can make myself give her another penny, but I am also not sure I can resist this book.

My Cincinnati friend, Saunie, whom I have never met, sent me this recipe this morning. She went to school with my husband and that entire clan meet and greet several times a year. She sent a Bob Evans recipe and I think it will be great for week end guests or when the boys-at-work (on Sundays) need refreshed. The pool has been opened and so this week is clean it out time. The table umbrellas are up, new chairs and lounges are out, the grass is green and has been mowed twice already...so I think we are in business. Let's try this yummy sounding dish.



Prep time :15 minutes
Cook time :15 minutes

Makes 8 servings


Ingredients
1 pound Bob Evans Original Recipe Sausage Roll (I am using Zesty)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (8 oz)
4 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425F. Crumble and cook sausage in skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain sausage. Line bottom of greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish with crescent roll dough, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Sprinkle with sausage and cheese. Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl until blended, pour over sausage. Bake 15 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares; serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers.

ALL ABOUT HAM. AFTER ALL, IT'S EASTER.

Three major categories
Fresh Ham (a.k.a. Leg) is a raw uncured uncooked ham, usually with the skin still on. The meat is the typical pale pink to beige color of raw pork. It can be roasted, skin on or off, and it is especially good with the skin removed and smoke roasted. Use the skin for cracklins. Click here for some of the cuts that are available from the leg.

Dry-Cured Ham is cured (preserved) by burying it a big mound of salt or by rubbing the exterior with salt, often mixed with sugar, black pepper, garlic, and other spices. In some places sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are also added. It is then usually hung and air-dried for 6-18 months at cool temperatures, and it dehydrates significantly, concentrating its flavor. Often it is smoked at low temperatures. They are usually pink to brown and can be purchased as a whole ham, half a ham, and is usually served uncooked and sliced thin. Because their production takes a lot of time, dry-cured hams can be expensive. the most famous of this type is Prosciutto di Parma, the famous dry cured ham of Italy.

Wet-Cured Ham is the most popular ham in the US. It is meat that is usually skinned and cured by soaking in a brine or injecting it with a brine. A brine is a salt and water solution with some or all of these ingredients: Sugar, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, sodium erythorbate, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride, liquid smoke, and other flavorings. The ingredients will appear on the label. Some wet-cured hams are pre-cooked and labeled as "ready to eat". Some are sold uncooked as "cook before eating". By law these must have prominent labeling with safe handling and cooking instructions. When you get them home, they can be roasted or smoked depending on whether they have been pre-smoked or pre-cooked. For pre-cooked wet-cured hams, paint with a sweet and savory glaze, heat to 140°F, and serve. That's all there is to it. Yes, 140°F seems low, but that's what USDA says is safe since it is cured and pre-cooked. For uncooked wet-cured hams, take them up to 160°F.

Bayonne Ham is a dry-cured French ham.

Boiled Ham. See canned ham.

Black Forest Ham is a German dry-cured and smoked ham.

Brine Cured Ham. See wet-cured ham.

Canned Ham can contain scraps and pieces of meat pressed and formed to fit in the can and may contain up to 10% water or broth. Usually under three pounds. Canned ham labeled "shelf stable" can be stored at room temp for three years. I have no idea how to cook them and no interest in learning.

City Ham. An unofficial term used to describe wet-cured ham. It is usually sold in a plastic bag in the refrigerator case and labeled "ready to cook", "partially cooked" or "ready to serve". The better city hams also say "ham in natural juices".

Corned Ham. Corning is the word for curing with salt. Corned beef is fresh beef packed with salt and aged much like the dry cured hams above but not as long. Ditto corned ham. It is popular in Maryland and the Carolinas. Basically, you get a fresh ham, remove the skin (or not), pack it with kosher or pickling salt, wrap it with plastic wrap, put it in a pot in the fridge and turn it occasionally, then after a week, rinse off the salt and roast or simmer it. In Southern Maryland, corned ham is stabbed all over with a knife and the slits filled with a mix of cabbage, kale, collards, onions, and herbs to make a dish they call Stuffed Ham.

Country Ham is the generic name for American dry-cured ham. Sometimes it is smoked, usually it is not. It can be served uncooked like prosciutto or other European hams. If it is to be cooked, it needs to be soaked in an ice water bath for 4 to 12 hours, then simmered for 25 minutes per pound, then glazed, and browned at 325°F for 15 minutes. Whew.

Green Ham is not a ham covered with green mold meant to accompany green eggs and green beer, although some dry-cured hams do have a mold on them. It is a cured ham that has not been smoked. This is not an official USDA controlled definition, however.

Half Ham. Because whole hams are very large, many producers cut them into butt end and shank end. Butt half is from higher up, on the rump, and has more meat and fat. It is also easier to carve and usually more expensive. It is not to be confused with pork butt which is from the shoulder. Confused yet? The shank half is less fatty.

Ham Steak is usually a cross section slice of wet-cured smoked ham with a round section of thigh bone in the middle. It is good when grilled quickly with or without a glaze or sauce.

Picnic Hams are not really a ham, but a front leg from the shoulder socket through to the elbow sold raw. They usually run 5-8 pounds without the skin. To cook it, follow my recipe pulled pork.

Prosciutto is Italian dry-cured ham preserved with salt, lard, and often other spices. It is occasionally smoked, but usually is not. It is made in many locations around Italy and named after the area of origin such as Prosciutto di Toscano from Tuscany. It is best when the meat is pale pink and the fat is cream colored and is usually sliced paper thin and eaten uncooked (crudo), fat and all. When fresh cut, it has a concentrated briny flavor and the fat is buttery. It is often wrapped around melon chunks, chopped in salads, or on a sandwich. There are numerous recipes that use prosciutto cooked as an ingredient such as pizza.

Prosciutto di Parma or Parma Ham is prosciutto from the Parma region of Italy. It is regarded by many as the best of the Italian hams and made according to strict regulations and supervision. That's Prosciutto di Parma aging in the picture at the top of the page.

Pumped Ham. See wet-cured ham.

Serrano Ham (Jamón Serrano) and Ibérico Ham (Jamón Ibérico) are the most prized Spanish dry-cured hams. Ibérico Ham hogs are fed acorns and there are several grades depending on how much of their feed is acorns.

Smithfield Ham is a dry-cured country ham from Smithfield, VA. There is a potential point of confusion because the world's largest pork product producer, Smithfield Foods, originally founded in Smithfield but now with plants all over the world, makes a range of hams, most of which are not country hams. Got it?

Smoked Ham has usually been wet-cured and then smoked. It is, sometimes, simply smoked without the cure.

Smoked Ham Rump. A big gumdrop shaped portion of a smoked ham.

Spiral-Cut or Spiral Hams are skinned, wet-cured, and pre-cooked, usually coated with a sweet glaze and vacuum packed in plastic wrap. They usually weigh 7-10 pounds. They can be cooked but be careful because they can dry out easily. To heat them, wrap in foil and cook at 325°F for about 10 minutes per pound. Bring it up to 140°F.

Turkey Ham is turkey thigh meat wet-cured and cooked. Why does USDA let this be called ham?

Virginia Ham is similar to Smithfield Ham, but it is not from Smithfield proper.

Westphalian Ham is dry-cured and smoked German ham from hogs fed acorns.

Amen.