Two people and a ham

[kayb]

In the wake of Christmas, if there was ham, there's generally always an excess of ham leftovers. We were no exception. A shank half ham, about 11 pounds. 5 adults. 

 

Christmas night, I cut it all off the bone and threw the bone, with a good bit of attached meat, into the IP. Next morning, ham stock, which went into the freezer,  meat from the hambone divided amongst the containers.

 

The remainder went into two plastic bags...one of slices usable for sandwiches and one of little bitty pieces and unsliced chunks. Being it was a shank ham, there were more of the latter.

 

We went through all the sandwich slices, because we like a ham sandwich around here. So this morning, I got the bag of ham bits and bobs out of the freezer and let them thaw. Then I pulsed them to a medium grind in the food processor. Two batches yielded me six cups of ground ham.

These, in turn, got stashed in a gallon freezer bag.

 

I have vac-sealed in the past,  but opted not to.

 

This stuff is like an instant meal maker.

-- Put it in an omelet or a quiche or breakfast muffins or egg bites

-- use it to season beans or other veg

-- make deviled ham on a whim

-- use it in deviled eggs

-- sprinkle a layer in scalloped potatoes

-- throw some into meatballs for a change of pace

-- make ham croquettes 

-- use it in all kinds of appetizers

-- stuff a baked potato

 

And on and on.

[Anna N]

7 minutes ago, kayb said:

And on and on.

You almost, but not quite, dragged me over to the Darkside. Only one problem. I don’t particularly like ham the first time around. 😂  but it is hard to deny that it is a very useful meat that keeps on giving and giving and giving. Now if you could only make it taste like steak. 

[donk79]

8 minutes ago, Anna N said:

You almost, but not quite, dragged me over to the Darkside. Only one problem. I don’t particularly like ham the first time around. 😂  but it is hard to deny that it is a very useful meat that keeps on giving and giving and giving. Now if you could only make it taste like steak. 

A1?

[Kim Shook]

23 hours ago, kayb said:

In the wake of Christmas, if there was ham, there's generally always an excess of ham leftovers. We were no exception. A shank half ham, about 11 pounds. 5 adults. 

 

Christmas night, I cut it all off the bone and threw the bone, with a good bit of attached meat, into the IP. Next morning, ham stock, which went into the freezer,  meat from the hambone divided amongst the containers.

 

The remainder went into two plastic bags...one of slices usable for sandwiches and one of little bitty pieces and unsliced chunks. Being it was a shank ham, there were more of the latter.

 

We went through all the sandwich slices, because we like a ham sandwich around here. So this morning, I got the bag of ham bits and bobs out of the freezer and let them thaw. Then I pulsed them to a medium grind in the food processor. Two batches yielded me six cups of ground ham.

These, in turn, got stashed in a gallon freezer bag.

 

I have vac-sealed in the past,  but opted not to.

 

This stuff is like an instant meal maker.

-- Put it in an omelet or a quiche or breakfast muffins or egg bites

-- use it to season beans or other veg

-- make deviled ham on a whim

-- use it in deviled eggs

-- sprinkle a layer in scalloped potatoes

-- throw some into meatballs for a change of pace

-- make ham croquettes 

-- use it in all kinds of appetizers

-- stuff a baked potato

 

And on and on.

I adore ham and am always sorry when I don't make one for large gatherings.  Neither of us mind the eternity that is us and a ham. 

 

I feel like a complete idiot.  I always cut all the meat off the bone and save the bone and scraps in a bag in the freezer to put in a pot of beans.  And sometimes I end up tossing it months later because it is such a PITA getting all of the fatty bits out of the beans after it has cooked.  Why the heck has it never occurred to me to make HAM STOCK?????  I make beef, turkey, chicken, pork and even corn stock.  Why not ham?  Sigh.  Live and learn.  Thank you, @kayb!  

[Katie Meadow]

2 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I adore ham and am always sorry when I don't make one for large gatherings.  Neither of us mind the eternity that is us and a ham. 

 

I feel like a complete idiot.  I always cut all the meat off the bone and save the bone and scraps in a bag in the freezer to put in a pot of beans.  And sometimes I end up tossing it months later because it is such a PITA getting all of the fatty bits out of the beans after it has cooked.  Why the heck has it never occurred to me to make HAM STOCK?????  I make beef, turkey, chicken, pork and even corn stock.  Why not ham?  Sigh.  Live and learnank you, @kayb!  

Big fan of ham stock here! I use a couple of smoked ham shanks (way more meat than hocks). I briefly rinse the shanks with cold water to remove excess salt, then simmer with half an onion and some celery tops for at least two hours. When slightly cooled I pick the meat off the bone, and toss whatever fat comes off, which is done easily. Then I use my fat strainer to pour clean broth into containers to freeze. The meat also gets frozen in pint containers with broth to cover.

 

When I make beans--southwestern style or red beans w/rice-- I simply cook the soaked dry beans in ham broth. If the broth is really strong I dilute it with water. If I want chunks of ham I defrost a container of meat and add that at the end. The final result is rich but not fatty at all. 

[chromedome]

30 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I adore ham and am always sorry when I don't make one for large gatherings.  Neither of us mind the eternity that is us and a ham. 

 

I feel like a complete idiot.  I always cut all the meat off the bone and save the bone and scraps in a bag in the freezer to put in a pot of beans.  And sometimes I end up tossing it months later because it is such a PITA getting all of the fatty bits out of the beans after it has cooked.  Why the heck has it never occurred to me to make HAM STOCK?????  I make beef, turkey, chicken, pork and even corn stock.  Why not ham?  Sigh.  Live and learn.  Thank you, @kayb!  

Mine seldom even gets to the freezer. Once I've made the stock, I'll usually strain out the bones/skin/mirepoix/whatever and then slap it right back into the IP with some beans.

...and personally, I keep back some of the fatty bits to put *into* the beans.

[gfweb]

On 1/12/2021 at 2:57 PM, Anna N said:

You almost, but not quite, dragged me over to the Darkside. Only one problem. I don’t particularly like ham the first time around. 😂  but it is hard to deny that it is a very useful meat that keeps on giving and giving and giving. Now if you could only make it taste like steak. 

Are we related?

 

High quality country ham is a different matter.

Edited January 13, 2021 by gfweb (log)

[heidih]

I'd never thought of it either until Graham Kerr during his Mini-Max healthy phase did it on a show. His point was to lower ft content (skim off solidified after cooling), but the overall concept made sense.  The ground ham that @kayb showed up top I had never considered. Another great idea for when ham is required as an option. Not personally fond of grocery store ham in slices. 

[Anna N]

19 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Are we related?

 

High quality country ham is a different matter.

I am fairly certain I have never tasted anything that I consider to be high quality as far as ham is concerned unless, of course, one starts talking about prosciutto and its ilk.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Anna N
Typos (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Some 70 years ago, my father clipped out a recipe that became a family regular, essentially potted ham (although his recipe called for SPAM).

 

Grind together (today, I use a food processor) ham, cheddar cheese, hard boiled egg, onion, raw celery, raw carrot, dill pickle, sweet pickle.   

Bind with mayo.   Add mustard if you like.    And/or dill.

 

I use this with many leftover big-meats, beef and pork.   Works less well with poultry, IMHO.    Use as sandwich spread or on crackers.    Kids tend to wolf it.   Men, too.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[Anna N]

10 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

potted ham (although his recipe called for SPAM).

Enjoy.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

9 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Enjoy.

No, no. no. no!

Make your own out of ham and fresh add-ins.     No aversion to SPAM, but this is a different animal from what's in that can of SPAM spread.

[gfweb]

38 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I am fairly certain I have never tasted anything that I consider to be high quality as far as ham is concerned unless, of course, one starts talking about prosciutto and its ilk.

 

Some of the fancy $$$ southern hams remind me of Iberico in texture and sweetness.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

5 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

Some of the fancy $$$ southern hams remind me of Iberico in texture and sweetness.

And need to be treated very differently from usual American "baking hams".     I.e., we wouldn't "bake" a prosciutto or Iberico or an untreated fine southern ham.