Country ham is an American treasure, on par with the greatest hams in the world. Many of us believe it’s the best of all.
The point of curing hams is to make them keep well for a long while. The curing process, often followed by time in a smokehouse, creates country ham’s unmistakable texture and unbeatable flavor. A whole ham can be huge, enough to satisfy lots of people at a holiday feast or supply a small family for a long while. There’s an old phrase that says, “Eternity is two people and one ham.” And yet we know better than to waste a smidgeon, right down to the bone.
This recipe is a delicious way to use the lean trimming bits. Taste and assess the ham before you begin. Some are intensely salty, smoky and leathery – all good traits – but too strong to use solo in this recipe and should be mixed with milder and juicier ham, such as baked city ham or even a slab of high-quality deli ham. I call this a ham spread or dip, but many old cookbooks refer to this as ham salad.
See more: Recipes with Fresh Spring Flavors
Country Ham Spread
Makes: About 2 cups
Ingredients
- 8 ounces well-trimmed country ham (or mixture of country and baked ham), diced into ½-inch pieces
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sweet-hot pickle relish (such as Wickle’s)
- 3 tablespoons scallions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Creole mustard or whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon bourbon or dry sherry
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
Instructions
1. Pulse the ham in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
2. Add the mayonnaise, relish, scallions, parsley, mustard, bourbon or sherry, and cayenne, and pulse until finely chopped and blended, but don’t overwork the spread until it turns into paste.
3. Taste for a good balance of flavors and adjust to your liking.
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight and return to room temperature for serving. Store covered and refrigerated for up to a week.
Sheri Castle is the host of The Key Ingredient, a cooking show from PBS North Carolina. She is also an award-winning professional food writer, recipe developer and cooking teacher. The Southern Foodways Alliance named her one of 20 Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller. She grew up in Watauga County and now lives in Chatham County.
Keep tabs on her at shericastle.com.
