Keisha Shakespeare, Staff Reporter
Grand Appleton Christmas Ham from Martin Maginley, executive chef, Grand Lido Negril.
Christmas is a-coming and the pig's already plump. How about a yummy ham made from his rump?
(Sing to the tune of the popular Christmas song)
TRADITIONAL BAKED ham was a Christmas dish that started as far back as the days of slavery. During slavery, the ham was cured in a large bucket (kreng-kreng) by smoking it over a slow fire. Pimento was heavily used in spicing the meat which was scarce. This tradition was an especially important family practice for those who could afford it.
Today, ham remains a major part of the Christmas dinner. And most Jamaicans will tell you they love pork so much that they would eat even the very mud that pigs bathe in.
Though ham is a big part of Christmas, the important thing to note is that it has to be properly cured. Curing ham varies in different countries because of many different variables such as climate. In Jamaica, there are two methods of curing ham, home style or commercial.
The commercial method has become popular over the years as it saves time. Mrs. Juley Wynter-Robertson, a senior instructor at Ebony Park Human Employment and Resource Training (HEART) Academy in Clarendon said she uses the commercial method to cure her ham, as it is much easier. In this method, ingredients such as sodium tripoliphosphate, zesty spice, salt and sugar, among others, are mixed together to form a solution. Mrs. Wynter-Robertson said the curing process starts by thawing the pork leg for 24 hours. Then she uses a meat pump or syringe to inject the mixture into the muscle tissues and joints of the pork leg or shoulder. She then places it in the remaining mixture for 12 hours in the cooling section of the refrigerator.
Afterwards, it is cooked for 12 hours in a smoke house. She added that when this process is complete, the ham can be eaten at this stage but she prefers to cook it some more. Thus, she removes the stocking net used to cover the pork leg, then wraps it in aluminium foil and turns it skin side up on a rack over a tray with water in the oven which has been heated at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. She said the water is used to retain the moisture of the ham as it bakes. Baking time is one hour per pound. After the ham is baked, the end bone will become loose and the skin can be easily removed.
TO GARNISH
Mrs. Wynter-Robertson said that to garnish the ham, you have to remove the skin and excess fat then thinly slice the top of the ham in a diamond pattern and add cloves to each corner of the diamond. It can then be based with a dressing of your choice and pineapple slices and cherries placed in an attractive design on the top side. At this point, the ham should be placed back in the oven for another 10 minutes to get that perfect brown colour.
Ham is the perfect meat with gungo peas and rice, pasta, or salads, thereby, adding a bit of spice to Christmas dinner.
Tips for using left-over ham
1. Make a ham salad.
2. Add two slices of bread with some lettuce, tomato, onion rings, mustard and mayonnaise with a few slices of the left over ham and you'll have the perfect sandwich.
3. A few days after Christmas, you may feel for some good old ackee and saltfish, just add bits of ham to it making it an unforgettable breakfast.
4.Rice is a delightful carbohydrate that complements any meat. So, adding chunks of ham to it will make it a rather scrumptious rice dish.
5.Most people are into healthy lifestyle and salads are a healthy alternative but they do not have to be boring or dull. Add bits of ham to your fresh vegetable salads and you'll never want them any other way.
6. Pasta dishes can be either lunch or dinner and adding chunks of ham to them is also ideal when you have left-over ham.
7.When you ring in the New Year, you will probably have lots of left-over meat, including ham, so explore all the possibilities. The ham bone is ideal for the first Saturday pot of gungo or red peas soup, so call up some friends and put on the big pot!
Doris Binns' home-cured ham
Mrs. Doris Binns, retired home economics teacher, said she cures her ham the old way some times. She said it is important to choose a young pork leg as it is more tender.
METHOD
1. Get a 10-pound pork leg, wash with one teaspoon of vinger in water. Dry with a clean cloth.
2. Mix one tablespoon brown sugar, one tablespoon salt petre or nitre, one teaspoon powdered nutmeg mace and one tablespoon grated nutmeg.
3. Divide the mixture in three equal parts.
4. Rub 1/3 of the mixture onto the meat, paying attention to the bony areas. Rub on mixture until it has dissolved.
5. Wrap the pork leg in brown paper and place it in the refrigerator. This should be left for four days.
6. After the fourth day, take out and add the second third of mixture and leave for another four days.
7. Take out and add the final portion of mixture and leave for a further 20 days (each pound of meat is left two days).
8. Take out and dust off excess salt then if you are not ready to cook after the 20 days, place it in the freezer until your are ready to cook.
9. When ready to cook, take out then wash off ham in cold water and leave to soak in cold water overnight.
10. Boil with brown sugar, a dozen cloves and pimento seeds. Cook slowly over low flames for 2 1/2 hours.
11. Let it cool, then tear off skin and cut it into a diamond pattern.
12. Dress it with garnish of your choice then put to bake for 1/2 hour.
Ham and Cheese Keish
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheddar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup diced ham
1 tbs. chopped onions
salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of nutmeg
9-inch pie shell
METHOD
1. Preheat oven 350ºF.
2. In a medium mixing bowl beat eggs.
3. Stir in cream and milk
4. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Stir in both cheese ham, and onion.
6. Pour mixture into the pie shell
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until centre of keish is set.
8. Serve hot or cold.
- Juley Wynter-Robertson
