Ham

10lb Ham
There are only the two of us in the household. So, ten-pounds will last awhile. In fact, it will probably exceed our desire for Ham. Thus, I cut off two nice (if irregularly cut) Ham Steaks over an inch thick each and froze those. And the remaining six pounds was warmed in the oven (with further explanation to follow in the next section). At this point, it is highly likely (but far from a certainty) that another Ham will be purchased during The Easter Sales Season.

Ham w/ Onion Chutney
I had no hand in the creation of the Chutney. But it was tasty; and although not sweet (no sweeter than the Onions), it was a delightful addition to the Ham.

Baked Ham w/ Califlower
At this point, we're just eating down the Ham Bone. But it is tasty.

"I like Ham," said Sam I Am.
"Do you like Ham?" asked Rabbit.
"Certainly, I do," replied Doctor Peabody.
And with that, the senseless aside drifted off into obscurity, leaving Miss Daisy without a formal reply.
"Drat!" she said more than a little late. But there was nobody left to hear her. "Drat! Drat! And Double-Drat!" For in all the lands, there was nobody who could swear quite like Miss Daisy Bou'quet of Springdale, especially after she had pricked her finger on a rose.

Pickings
I thought I had another solid meal worth's of Ham left on the bone. But I was wrong. It was more like a snack. I suppose, if eaten with anything else of substance, it might have made a meal. But this was snarfed-down (a technical word, if ever there was one) with Pickles and Mustard.

Sliced Ham
Another Ham was procured. If the previous was the Butt Half, this was the Shank. It got placed in the oven for a long hour at 350°, which nicely browned the skin. I'd put it in a glass dish, face down; and so, rather than slicing around the bone, I sliced from the outside, winding up with almost entirely fat free meat. It was good eating... even if the skin (or whatever one calls that protective outer layer) was a bit tough.

Well, look at that.

I almost forgot to mention the Cheese Sauce & Broccoli, by others... you know, those other(s), who typically comprise that by other bit.

Honeyed Ham
I was going to do a plate of Ham, Honey, and Balsamic Vinegar. But I got lazy and forgot the Balsamic. It didn't matter. The teaspoon or so of Honey that I added to (perhaps) 4oz of Ham was more than enough. This went right down. I question whether I took a single breath.

Broccoli Cheese Ham
The Broccoli and Cheese was leftover from last time. It was the good stuff. There was another load of Broccoli and Cheese (fast becoming a staple around here) last week, which was not nearly as good. So, that batch is safely stowed in the freezer. If nothing else, it will get turned into a soup.

Ham & Broccoli Casserole au Gratin
This was very filling; but also, very satisfying and tasty. There's really not much to say about it. I like cheese.

Cajun Style
I poured a few cups of the Broccoli Cheese Stuff into The Ham Pan, covered it with a few slices of Ham, and topped that with a Powdered Pork Rub. After another hour at 350°, The Rub had browned quite nicely. Very Tasty.

Eggs Florentine
It's a simple stack (if any such stack is ever simple), consisting of Chopped Spinach, Sliced Ham, Fried Egg, and Hollandaise Sauce. I found it delightful. Though, The Ham was the least of it. Bits of this will be leftovers, tomorrow. But I will neglect any further mention of the dish.

Ham Bone Broth
There are The Good Bones (from the more expensive cut) and The Bad Bones, which are mostly fat. But The Good Bones have plenty of meat and are being simmered endlessly in a Pot of Water. I can't say I expect much from the dish. But I do enjoy a good cup of broth. So, let's hope that's how this turns out.

In the meantime, all the other Ham has been frozen:

• 2 Large Rounds of Ham
• 3 Bags Mixed Ham Meat w/ Juice

I anticipate keeping the record going until the bitter end... or at least, until the Two Large Rounds are gone. Them be some choice cuts of meat.

Ham Bone Broth
This is mild. I'd call it tasty. But it's really more like a very thin broth, wherein one does not mind that it is thin. Anyhow, for the past few days (and until it is gone), The Broth is My Helping of Ham (once a day, everyday). Once The Broth is gone, I expect to Roast the Bones. But that's still a few days off. Heck, maybe I should freeze those bones in the meantime.

In the end, I probably consumed around a Gallon worth of Broth. It was good, but not great. I'd do it again with my next Ham Bone (and likely will). But I do not mourn its passing.

Bone Meat
In all, there are three hunks of Bone (as I count them {presumably, remaining}): two from the 79¢ Cut and one from the 69¢ Cut. The meat on the 79¢ Cut went all the way to The Bone. And after boiling daily for a short week as I brought The Broth up to temperature, The Ham just fell off The Bone. I put a dash of Balsamic Vinegar on it. But just a dash. The meat was fine (acceptable) and quite tender, but a little bland. So, I'm tricking out the next serving of Bone Meat by soaking it in Pickle Juice. And as such, I just might eat it cold with a little Mustard on the side.

Pickled Ham Trailings
This Meat was bland. It was, perhaps, interesting to eat Ham soaked in Pickle Juice. But it did little to reconstitute the flavour. I would never hunt this dish out. But then, The Ham had been boiled to death. So, one need look no further than that in regards to the cause.

Ham w/ Berry Sauce
Recently, a Beef Brisket was made with a Berry Sauce. The Sauce was frozen and set aside. And I always figured I'd use it with one of these Ham Rounds, placing the frozen goop in the center hole. Well, rather than that, I spread it rather evenly across the top. But otherwise, it was pretty much as I envisioned. Heating at 175° for a few hours brought it up to temperature. And I'd say it was quite tasty. Though, I did rather enjoy the second serving, as that piece of Ham was Solid Meat. Whereas, the previous slice had a lot of Fat. And between low light, failing eyesight, and the purple colouration, I just sort of ate the piece whole, Fat and all. Still, the combination was par excellence.

Berry Bone Soup
It's the last Ham Bone with all the extra Berry Juice tossed into The Pot, as well. Though, for a review of the taste, you'll have to wait, because as of this writing, we really are just talking about a Braised Ham Bone added to a Pot of Water, with a Cup of Thinning Berry Juice thrown in for a little extra flavour. Though, I have no worries. The Last Batch of Broth was fine, as This Batch with Added Berries will be.

The Half-Boiled Bone Meat was simply delightful. I broke a few pieces off (leaving the remainder to boil away a little longer) and put it in the oven... just to warm; for, this was from cold. And I don't know exactly why. But this type of Ham is different. It's more meaty. Really, I'd have a hard time explaining. In some ways, I feel more like I am eating a Turkey Drumstick. I like it... enough, that I think instead of blending The Meat into The Broth as I had intended, I will spoon it off, mix with Honey (or something), and eat as a separate course.

And in truth, I haven't come close to drinking any of The Broth, not as of yet. But it will keep.

Char Su! That's what the Bone Meat reminds me of. And I love Char Su!

I'm still working on the last two creations (Bone Broth Soup and Berry Ham), so I won't start a new section. On the other hand, I question how much I have talked about the taste.

The Bone Broth Soup (with added Berry Flavour) is highly satisfying. Sure, it's mellow. The taste is, almost, nondescript, just a hint of fruit. But it's, also, solid. Like, it's not missing anything. Just, it's hard to say, "Wow!". But I will be making a broth, again, with the next Ham Bone.

As to the Berry Crusted Ham, I am simply enjoying Baking the Ham down. The Fat becomes easier to separate out and The Meat is more condensed. It, probably, has a lot to do with the quality of Ham. Let us assume there is a fair bit of Water Added, Water being free and all. And at 69¢/lb, that's a fairly steep price (and therefore, profit margin) for Water. Whatever the case, this baked down Ham with Berry crust is reminiscent of BBQ and quite delightful.

A little bit of Pepper is just what that Broth needed.

I don't think a few bits (and they are just bits) of Ham on a salad is worthy of a new heading, do you?

But this next one is.

Chopped Ham Salad

• Handful of Chopped Ham
• Smaller Handful of Raisins
• Touch of Pickle Juice
• Drizzle of Honey
• Loads of Cinnamon
• Lots of Nutmeg

The result did not turn out as I had imagined and was not all that great. It did remind me a bit of Christmas. But it was missing that something. But since I don't want to use Mayonnaise for a dish like this, I do not know what that something is... or how to achieve it.

Ham & Cheese Broken-Egg Omelet

• 1.0 part Mozzarella Cheese
• 1.5 part Chopped Ham
• 2.0 part Eggs
• 0.5 part Butter
• Seasoned with Pepper
• Eggs Flipped Haphazardly
  • Not Scrambled
  • But Not Un-Scrambled

Now, that's the type of meal that sticks to your ribs.

Ham with Maple Syrup
Sure, I'm probably late to the party on this one. But covering The Ham in a healthy dose of Maple Syrup had a simply magical effect. This is a winner.

Ham, Pickles, & Dressing
The Pickles, being salty, were a bit of a mistake. The meat would have gone better with Cole Slaw or something similar, I would guess.

Ham in Pea Soup
It was a Can of Soup, mixed with about an equal amount of Ham (or half as much, if compressed). I like Ham. And as much as I hate to admit it (as I am not a fan of the brand), The Soup was pretty darn tasty.

Scrambled Ham w/ Cheese
I don't do Omelettes so much, as simply add stuff to lightly mixed Eggs Over Easy. This stuff consisted of:

• 1 Cup Ham
• Which was too much.
• 4 Egg Whites
• From Frozen
• Let's use it up.
• 3 Pads Butter
• Not nearly enough.
• And as this is the sequence, it was added way too late.
• 2 Eggs
• As it needed a bit more.
• 1 Cup Cheese
• A refreshing Trio of odds and ends.

I cooked this way too long, trying to boil off the water from The Ham, which I should have done first.

Served as Eggs, this sucked.

Eaten like sausage with a bit of Salsa & Sour Cream on top, this was pretty darn tasty. Of course, that's just another way of saying I like Salsa & Sour Cream.

Semi-Smoked Ham
I took the Fatty Bits & Ends and treated them like Bacon, slow cooking them at 250° for a few hours. They were very tasty. And if I cared about The Fat, I would have rendered (and saved) a few Tablespoons of the stuff, as it was infused with Ham Flavour.

After weeks of waiting, I finally processed The Ham, throwing away a few pounds of Fat on the front-side and yielding:

• Bone in Shank
• 3 Bags Cubed Ham
• 2 Bags Sliced Ham

It's not nearly as much as I expected. But each bag will make a meal for two. And the Bone Portion, itself, will make for quite a few more.

Baked Ham w/ Celeriac
While slicing up The Ham, sometimes (often, more often than I would have expected), it was difficult to separate The Lean from The Fat. I find that Baking for awhile often reduces an edge case piece to a better quality hunk... or if nothing else, The Fat becomes easier to eat around. So, the first meal was some of this Slow Baked Ham with Celeriac (Celery Root Mash) and Cucumbers spiked with Salt, Pepper, and Dill.

Baked Ham w/ Celeriac
Leftover Celeriac with more Ham from the Bone, which shall give and give and give... at least, for a few more whiles.

Ham Nibbles
Yeah, it's not much of an entry. But then, it wasn't much of a meal. I was intending to clean off The Bone. But instead, after a few mouthfuls, I started making a Soup. Fine. It was more than a few mouthfuls; but much less remained on The Bone, than I had thought.

Ham Broth w/ Mung Beans
It tastes like Pea Soup: Pure & Simple.

Ham Bits
Snacking has never been so much fun. The cooked down Bone Meat is delightful.

Ham Jumbalia
Two Packets of Ham went into One Packet of Leftover Jumbalia, making Cajun Awesomeness. I have a feeling this Second Ham is going to go fast.

Ham Mung Bean Soup
It's just Pea Soup made with Mung Beans, instead. See The Mung Bean write-up for more detailed information.

Scrap Ham
As this was Heavy Fat Grisly Ham, I should have just cooked it all down right away.

• As Snack
• In Salad
• As Horderves
• Cooked Down

Broccoli Cheese Ham Casserole
Just as it sounds: Awesome!

Rice & Ham w/ Soy Sauce
Completely uninspired. But I was hungry and it went down all nice and quick.

Crispy Ham
Well, that's a forward looking statement. I sort of doubt I'm going to wait long enough to get The Ham crispy. But in an ideal world, that's what it would be.


And That's That
Yes! I will definitely do Ham again, the next time it goes on sale.


March, April, May, & June 2021