serene | (no subject)

(no subject)

So I was making my mom's ham recipe for our christmas(observed) dinner, and I had to call my mom and verify that it really does take that much sugar.

Me: So, a can of pineapple, a *one-pound box* of brown sugar, and a teaspoon of ground cloves? Is that right?

Her: Yep.

Me: A whole pound of sugar?

Her: Yes, a sixteen-ounce box.

Me: Wow, that seems like a lot of sugar.

Her: Oh, no, the cloves cut the sweetness.

Holy. Crap.

But the house does smell like my childhood, and that's usually a good thing. :-)

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Oh yeah, I know that recipe. Mary Powers (my godfather's sister) used to cook ham that way at her rooming house in Bisbee, Arizona. It was culinary perfection to my six year old tongue. Did you use pineapple rings stuck to the ham with cloves? Mary would also stick maraschino cherries in the middle of the pineapple rings.

When I was growing up and my mom didn't work outside the home, she stuck the pineapple rings to the ham with whole cloves. Then one day later in life, she "got lazy", as she puts it, and mixed some ground cloves in with a can of crushed pineapple and poured that over the ham. It came out tasting just as good, and was a lot less work. Still, I think I'll make it the ring way next time, just to get pictures for the Mom Food Project cookbook.

That's the exact question I was coming in with, or similar: "Did you remember pineapple and cherries? ;)

Mmmmm. My mom used to make a glaze for the ham using coffee and brown sugar. I still remember the smell. I used to go crazy when that stuff was in the oven. Unfortunately she has forgotten the recipe. She swears you can't get a decent ham nowawadays anyway but I'm sure if you know where to go and are willing to spend enough you can get one.

Oh, red-eye gravy! I've heard such good things about that, but have never tried it. I'll have to give it a shot and let you know how it goes. :-)

Well, what are you still doing at the keyboard? :-)

I thought red-eye gravy was made from a country-cured ham. I love ham as long as it is NOT country cured. I HATE country ham.

My Uncle Stanley loved country ham with red-eye gray. He cured the ham himself. It still kind of makes me gag just remembering the taste.

If you ever want to try to cure a ham country style:

http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/ansci/g02526.htm

Some people love them.

Edited 2008-12-29 16:58 (UTC)

Our family baked-ham recipe never involved glaze, or pineapples, or sugar. Instead my mom would score the ham, stick it with cloves and pour ginger ale over it, and then baste with the ginger ale/drippings throughout the baking process. I've no idea where she learned to do that, and I've never heard of anyone else doing it (though if I googled I suspect I'd find similar variations). I like ham but I don't make it much for myself (especially these days), but when I do I stick it with cloves and pour ginger ale over it.

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