MARYLAND MY MARYLAND SOUTHERN MARYLAND STUFFED HAM
Back in the day, there used to be a place south of Charlotte Hall named The Halfway House. Served some of the best stuffed ham in the State of Maryland. I don't think it exists anymore. Southern Maryland stuffed ham is a true Maryland tradition.
Stuffed ham is a variety of ham in which cabbage, kale, onions, spices and seasonings are chopped and mixed, then stuffed into deep slits slashed in a whole corned or smoked ham. The ham is covered with extra stuffing, wrapped in a cloth to hold everything together, and then boiled until the meat and greens are fully cooked. Stuffed ham is believed to have originated in Southern Maryland, specifically in St. Mary's County, and remains popular in that region to this day. Often used as a Christmas ham, this preparation has been popular for at least 200 years. Typically the ham has a distinctively spicy flavor due to added seasoning. Recipes vary widely, since they are traditionally passed down from one family member to another.
Alternative names Maryland stuffed ham Place of origin United States of America Region or state Maryland Associated national cuisine Southern Main ingredients Corned ham, greens.
Salmonella vector
In 1997, improperly prepared stuffed ham served at the Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church fund-raising dinner in Chaptico, Maryland was responsible for one of the largest multi-drug resistant Salmonella Heidelburg outbreaks in Maryland which sickened 750 people and caused 2 deaths. The CDC documented the incident in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases
Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham.
Dishes don’t stick around virtually unchanged for three centuries unless they are something truly special, and this Southern Maryland favorite certainly fits the bill. From the founders of the Maryland colony to the tables of today, Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham remains the hallmark of an unforgettable holiday feast.
Total time: 6 Hours
Serves: 18
Ingredients
One 20- to 22-pound corned ham, boned
10 pounds cabbage
1 1/2 pounds kale
3 pounds onion
3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 package cheesecloth
Step 1: Making your first Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham can be intimidating, but each step is easy, the actual active prep time is really only about a half hour, and the results are simply stunning. So take your time and go for it! The first step, trim the excess fat from the ham and preheat the oven to 400°.
Step 2: To make the stuffing, wash the cabbage, kale and onions in cold water, then chop the vegetables and mix thoroughly in a large bowl with the red and black pepper.
Step 3: Cut slits all over the ham about 2 inches deep and the same across. Generously fill the slits and the cavity where the bone was with your stuffing. There are great videos online showing some techniques.
Step 4: Tie the ham with a string back in its original shape, wrap with cheese cloth and tie again. Cover the ham with aluminum foil and bake for five hours.
Step 5: Drain the ham and cool overnight in the refrigerator. Serve cold.
THE HISTORY OF STUFFED HAM
The history of stuffed ham dates to early 17th-century Maryland, where it is believed slaves working on the plantations created the recipe. After butchering the hogs, the plantation owner would keep the finer cuts of pork- ham, bacon, and sausages - for himself and then give the lesser parts to the slaves. To make the best of what they had, the slaves added fresh vegetables from the garden to their meat rations and boiled everything together in a cloth bag, Once the plantation owner tasted the delicious blend of pork and greens made from the lesser cuts and realized that the recipe worked well with the more desirable ham portion, the stuffed ham found its place on the plantation owner's dining table.
The process of preparing these hams is labor-intensive, After curing a fresh ham. the cured ham is deboned by hand, and the fat is trimmed away to let the flavor of the stuffing soak into the meat. Once the ham has been deboned, slits are cut inside the ham, the ham is laid out flat, and the stuffing mixture is then packed into the ham. The hams are stuffed with, on average, 10 pounds of stuffing, with any excess stuffing placed around the ham. the hams are wrapped in cheesecloth and tied with butcher's cord to hold the ham and stuffing together during cooking. The hams are then boiled, not baked, after which they are cooled and sliced. the result is an extremely moist, succulent ham full of stuffing with almost every bite.
The season of the Southern Maryland Stuffed Hams traditionally lasts from mid-October through December. Some Southern Marylanders serve Stuffed Ham at Easter dinner. Here at W J Dent & Sons, we prepare Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham all year long. Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham is available by the pound or by the sandwich. Currently, we offer Southern Maryland Stuffed ham for 12.99 per pound or $7.50 per sandwich. With notice, we can also pack and ship stuffed ham, via overnight delivery.
Comments
Post a Comment