The Hallowed Ham Everything You Need To Know About This Classic Easter Meal

Easter is a time of renewal and rebirth, a sunny ray of hope following a long, dark winter.

Like any self-respecting holiday, it’s also an opportunity to pig out - literally.

The origins of ham as an Easter dinner tradition aren’t entirely clear. William the Conqueror is said to have served what was then called “gammon” alongside such delicacies as tansy pudding (made with a bitter herb by that name). But in most of Europe, spring lamb, not ham, became the customary holiday dish.

In “The New York Times Food Encyclopedia,” Craig Claiborne reasons that ham became popular in America because the Pilgrims slaughtered pork in late fall, and the hand-cured meat reached its peak around Easter time.

Whatever the case, it’s an easy tradition to honor - even easier than roasting a turkey for Thanksgiving. (Tansy pudding, thankfully, has been left to the ages.)

Hams typically come fully cooked, with or without a bone, and can be served hot or cold. Some are dry cured, with salt and spices rubbed into the surface of the meat. Most are wet cured, injected with a brine solution.

The label will tell you the type of ham. There are four classifications, according to the National Pork Producers Council:

Ham: Sometimes called “old-fashioned,” “country-style” or “Southern-style,” this is a dry-cured ham with no water added. A Southern specialty, it’s quite salty and typically served in thin slices.

Ham With Natural Juices: A little water is added during the curing process, resulting in a velvety texture. A good choice to serve whole as a dinner centerpiece.

Ham - Added Water: Retains even more water during curing. Used for steaks, thin slices and shaving.

Ham and Water Product: This ham has the most water added, diluting its fat and protein content - as well as its price. Commonly found in the deli section, it’s well-suited for sandwiches.

(If you want to get really picky, Claiborne says some food experts insist ham from the left hind leg of a pig is the most tender. Because the pig scratches itself with its right leg, the theory goes, that leg is more exercised and therefore tougher.)

Cooked hams can be served straight from the refrigerator. To serve them warm, unwrap, place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and heat in a moderate oven (around 325 degrees) until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees, about 15 to 20 minutes per pound. For easier carving, let the ham rest, covered, for 10 minutes after removing from the oven.

A ham labeled “cook before eating” should be roasted to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, about 18 to 22 minutes per pound.

For added flavor, hams are often basted with a glaze during baking, usually toward the end of the cooking time.

Before glazing, score the fat on top of the ham with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern every couple of inches, forming squares; the glaze will not run off as easily and will penetrate the meat more. Whole cloves can be stuck in the center of each square for extra flavor.

“The Pillsbury Cookbook” (Bantam Books, 1995) recommends such glazes as currant or apple jelly (heated until melted), orange marmalade or a mixture of 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar with 3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple. “Betty Crocker’s Cookbook” (Prentice Hall, 1991) calls for a combination of 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard and 1 tablespoon vinegar.

The finished ham also can be served with various sauces. This year, the National Pork Producers Council suggests such spicy accompaniments as Cranberry-Jalapeno Chutney, Pineapple Salsa, Orange-Mint Salsa and Sweet-n-Hot Apple Chutney (see recipes at the end of this story).

Of course, the results depend on how good a ham you have to start with.

Gertrude’s Black Forest Deli (1002 S. Perry, 535-9641) carries naturally smoked hams from Pennsylvania with no water added during curing.

They’re more tender and less salty than brine-filled hams that “look like pink rubber,” says owner Gertrude Evans. Because of the lower moisture content, they also need to be kept covered while cooking.

The price is $3.49 per pound, with hams ranging from 7 to 12 pounds. But be forewarned; only a limited number were brought in for Easter, and they may already be gone (although they’re available year-round by advance order).

Ronquille’s Market & Restaurant (2904 E. Sprague, 535-0749) hickory-smokes its own honey-cured hams, which are also glazed with honey and seven spices.

“We eat all we can and sell the rest,” jokes owner Dale Ronquille, a native Texan who got the idea from a similar place his cousin runs in Corpus Christi.

Like some supermarket hams, Ronquille’s hams are spiral sliced - cut almost to the bone, all around, on a special machine. “You just run a knife around the bone and the meat comes off,” Ronquille explains.

His hams average 7 to 9 pounds, and cost $5.19 a pound. While he usually has some on hand, Ronquille recommends calling in your order a day ahead, particularly during the Easter crunch.

If you’d still rather do it yourself, here’s a recipe for a glazed ham with a port wine sauce, as well as some chutneys and salsas to serve with plainer baked hams.

Chef Ashbell’s Baked Ham

From the Food Stop cooking site on the World Wide Web (www.foodstop.com). The poaching liquid, glaze and sauce ingredients can be cut in half for smaller hams, which also will bake faster.

1 (10- to 12-pound) cured ham, trimmed of all fat and skin

1 cup maple sugar, maple syrup or brown sugar

1 small onion, studded with cloves

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

Glaze:

2 cups maple sugar, brown sugar or honey

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup sherry or port wine

1 teaspoon dry mustard

In large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add trimmed ham, sugar or syrup, onion with cloves, onion with cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Remove ham from pot and pat dry. Using a small, sharp knife, make criss-cross marks about 1/8 inch deep on top of the ham, being careful not to cut too deeply (this is for decorative purposes only).

In a mixing bowl, combine glaze ingredients; the mixture should have a pastelike consistency. Spread 1/2 of the mixture over the ham, and place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Add 1 cup poaching liquid to pan.

Bake, uncovered, in a 300-degree oven for about 2 hours, until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, basting frequently with poaching liquid. Spread on a little more of the glaze following each basting. (If glaze is burning, reduce temperature to 250 degrees and add 1/2 hour to cooking time.)

Allow ham to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. Serve plain or with port wine sauce.

Port Wine Sauce

1 cup port wine or good-quality sherry

2 cups apple juice

1 cup ham poaching liquid or pan juices, skimmed of all fat

1/2 cup seedless raisins

2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

In a saucepot, bring wine, apple juice, poaching liquid and raisins to a boil. Cook until mixture is reduced by half, about 8 minutes, and lower heat to a simmer. Add honey and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over sliced ham.

Cranberry-Jalapeno Chutney

1 (12-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion

1 jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients well. Refrigerate, covered, up to 3 weeks. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: About 1-1/2 cups.

Pineapple Salsa

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons seeded and finely chopped jalapeno chili

2 teaspoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Yield: About 1 cup.

Orange-Mint Salsa

2 oranges, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 kiwis, peeled and finely chopped

1/4 cup snipped fresh mint

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Salt, to taste

Stir together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Yield: About 1-1/2 cups.

Sweet-n-Hot Apple Chutney

2 cups rice wine vinegar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 poblano or Anaheim chili, seeded and diced

2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons minced red onion

3 green apples, peeled, cored and diced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

In large saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil. Stir in brown sugar to dissolve. Add all other ingredients except apples and lemon juice; boil 8 minutes.

Add apples and simmer until they are tender but retain their shape. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: About 2 cups.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Pork talk online The National Pork Producers Council will conduct an online chat about Easter ham today at 6 p.m. PST on America Online’s Food and Drink Network. For a free booklet with ham-buying tips and recipes, send a self-addressed, business-size envelope to: Hambook, National Pork Producers Council, P.O. Box 10383, Des Moines, IA 50306.