Thread: Re: Smithfield Ham Complete

On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:37:16 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Did you soak the ham before putting it in the beans?

Beans need salt, so there's no need to soak.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:37:16 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Did you soak the ham before putting it in the beans?
>
> Beans need salt, so there's no need to soak.

See country ham aka smithfield ham. Exceedingly salty, and soaking is a
universal requirement for preparing it. Steve soaked five days before the
initial cooking. Even with the soaking the soup it shouldn't need any added
salt. If you don't soak then you risk overwhelming anything it touches.

MartyB

Sqwertz wrote:
>
> The whole ham was soaked for 5 days. I don't think it does much to
> relieve the salt content.

If you change the water from time to time, it would.

Nunya Bidnits <[email protected]> wrote:

>sf <[email protected]> wrote:

>> Beans need salt, so there's no need to soak.

>See country ham aka smithfield ham. Exceedingly salty, and soaking is a
>universal requirement for preparing it.

If there a nutritional information label that says how much sodium is
in it? If so, then you can calculate whether the built-in saltiness
of the ham will exceed the desired salt level of your preparation.



Steve

On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:51:54 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:37:16 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> Did you soak the ham before putting it in the beans?
> >
> > Beans need salt, so there's no need to soak.
>
> See country ham aka smithfield ham. Exceedingly salty, and soaking is a
> universal requirement for preparing it. Steve soaked five days before the
> initial cooking. Even with the soaking the soup it shouldn't need any added
> salt. If you don't soak then you risk overwhelming anything it touches.
>
Where in the above quote is the conversation about cooking a whole
Smithfield ham in a pot of beans? I'm talking about cooking beans
with some ham - which in my experience is a way to use *leftover* ham.
Do what you need to do to make it palatable to eat all by itself, but
since you want to fight about this... I bet an unsoaked hunk in the
mini-quantity that people normally use to flavor beans would be just
fine.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:03:58 -0800, Mark Thorson <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Sqwertz wrote:
> >
> > The whole ham was soaked for 5 days. I don't think it does much to
> > relieve the salt content.
>
> If you change the water from time to time, it would.

Absolutely! You won't need 5 days to leach out so much salt that it
renders out all flavor and makes the preservation process pointless.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:51:54 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:37:16 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Did you soak the ham before putting it in the beans?
>>>
>>> Beans need salt, so there's no need to soak.
>>
>> See country ham aka smithfield ham. Exceedingly salty, and soaking
>> is a universal requirement for preparing it. Steve soaked five days
>> before the initial cooking. Even with the soaking the soup it
>> shouldn't need any added salt. If you don't soak then you risk
>> overwhelming anything it touches.
>>
> Where in the above quote is the conversation about cooking a whole
> Smithfield ham in a pot of beans?

WTF? Where did anyone say put the whole thing in there? You need to quit
making things up and attributing them to me.

>I'm talking about cooking beans
> with some ham - which in my experience is a way to use *leftover* ham.
> Do what you need to do to make it palatable to eat all by itself, but
> since you want to fight about this...

Now that's pretty funny. You seem to have developed a communication problem
recently.

>I bet an unsoaked hunk in the
> mini-quantity that people normally use to flavor beans would be just
> fine.

And you don't just cut into an unsoaked uncooked whole smithfield/country
ham and use it raw unless you just don't know what you are doing.

MartyB

sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:03:58 -0800, Mark Thorson <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>>
>>> The whole ham was soaked for 5 days. I don't think it does much to
>>> relieve the salt content.
>>
>> If you change the water from time to time, it would.
>
> Absolutely! You won't need 5 days to leach out so much salt that it
> renders out all flavor and makes the preservation process pointless.

And when is the last time you prepared and used a whole country ham? It
sounds like the answer is never.

On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:02:03 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:51:54 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>> On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:37:16 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> >>> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Did you soak the ham before putting it in the beans?
> >>>
> >>> Beans need salt, so there's no need to soak.
> >>
> >> See country ham aka smithfield ham. Exceedingly salty, and soaking
> >> is a universal requirement for preparing it. Steve soaked five days
> >> before the initial cooking. Even with the soaking the soup it
> >> shouldn't need any added salt. If you don't soak then you risk
> >> overwhelming anything it touches.
> >>
> > Where in the above quote is the conversation about cooking a whole
> > Smithfield ham in a pot of beans?
>
> WTF? Where did anyone say put the whole thing in there? You need to quit
> making things up and attributing them to me.

Oh?? No other conclusion could be drawn to make any sense out of what
you said.
>
> >I'm talking about cooking beans
> > with some ham - which in my experience is a way to use *leftover* ham.
> > Do what you need to do to make it palatable to eat all by itself, but
> > since you want to fight about this...
>
> Now that's pretty funny. You seem to have developed a communication problem
> recently.
>
> >I bet an unsoaked hunk in the
> > mini-quantity that people normally use to flavor beans would be just
> > fine.
>
> And you don't just cut into an unsoaked uncooked whole smithfield/country
> ham and use it raw unless you just don't know what you are doing.
>
No reason not to. The meat would cook while the beans cook.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:03:20 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:03:58 -0800, Mark Thorson <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Sqwertz wrote:
> >>>
> >>> The whole ham was soaked for 5 days. I don't think it does much to
> >>> relieve the salt content.
> >>
> >> If you change the water from time to time, it would.
> >
> > Absolutely! You won't need 5 days to leach out so much salt that it
> > renders out all flavor and makes the preservation process pointless.
>
> And when is the last time you prepared and used a whole country ham? It
> sounds like the answer is never.
>
Once and never again.

--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:02:03 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:51:54 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
>> > <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >>> On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:37:16 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
>> >>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>> Did you soak the ham before putting it in the beans?
>> >>>
>> >>> Beans need salt, so there's no need to soak.
>> >>
>> >> See country ham aka smithfield ham. Exceedingly salty, and soaking
>> >> is a universal requirement for preparing it. Steve soaked five days
>> >> before the initial cooking. Even with the soaking the soup it
>> >> shouldn't need any added salt. If you don't soak then you risk
>> >> overwhelming anything it touches.
>> >>
>> > Where in the above quote is the conversation about cooking a whole
>> > Smithfield ham in a pot of beans?
>>
>> WTF? Where did anyone say put the whole thing in there? You need to quit
>> making things up and attributing them to me.
>
> Oh?? No other conclusion could be drawn to make any sense out of what
> you said.
>>
>> >I'm talking about cooking beans
>> > with some ham - which in my experience is a way to use *leftover* ham.
>> > Do what you need to do to make it palatable to eat all by itself, but
>> > since you want to fight about this...
>>
>> Now that's pretty funny. You seem to have developed a communication
>> problem
>> recently.
>>
>> >I bet an unsoaked hunk in the
>> > mini-quantity that people normally use to flavor beans would be just
>> > fine.
>>
>> And you don't just cut into an unsoaked uncooked whole smithfield/country
>> ham and use it raw unless you just don't know what you are doing.
>>
> No reason not to. The meat would cook while the beans cook.

I rest my case.

On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:47:15 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I rest my case.
>
What case?
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

sf wrote:
> "Nunya Bidnits" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> >>> The whole ham was soaked for 5 days. I don't think it does much to
>> >>> relieve the salt content.
>
>> >> If you change the water from time to time, it would.
>
>> > Absolutely! You won't need 5 days to leach out so much salt that it
>> > renders out all flavor and makes the preservation process pointless.
>>
>> And when is the last time you prepared and used a whole country ham? It
>> sounds like the answer is never.
>
> Once and never again.

Same here. Once we bought a whole country ham and prepared it according
to the directions. Cut off the rind, soak it for days, bake it. The
result was hardly any different from a wet cured city ham. It was okay
but I can get a city ham on sale at any grocery store without all of
that effort.

Ever since I've used country ham with the salt. A brief rinse does
effect the salt level for very thin slices. A couple of hours of soak
does effect the salt level for small diced pieces. Getting rid of the
salt also reduces the unique flavor of a dry cured ham so it's a trade
off. I mostly go with more salt and more falvor which means I mostly go
with a smaller amount of country ham. It's an ingredient for me not a
main course item because of this.

On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:43:10 +0000 (UTC), Doug Freyburger
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I mostly go with more salt and more falvor which means I mostly go
> with a smaller amount of country ham. It's an ingredient for me not a
> main course item because of this.

Are you able to just buy pieces or do you have to buy the entire
thing?
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:47:15 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I rest my case.
>>
> What case?

The one I rested.

On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:04:43 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:47:15 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> I rest my case.
> >>
> > What case?
>
> The one I rested.
>
It's that tired?
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

sf <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:04:43 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> sf <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:47:15 -0600, "Nunya Bidnits"
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I rest my case.
>>>>
>>> What case?
>>
>> The one I rested.
>>
> It's that tired?

No, it's well rested.

sf wrote:
> Doug Freyburger <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I mostly go with more salt and more flavor which means I mostly go
>> with a smaller amount of country ham. It's an ingredient for me not a
>> main course item because of this.
>
> Are you able to just buy pieces or do you have to buy the entire
> thing?

Half country hams are consistantly available at Cracker Barrel
restaurant/stores. There's one in easy driving range from where I live.
I only see them in stores when travelling south of St Louis to visit one
of the kids.

Steak sized slices and packages of prediced country ham are
inconsistantly at Cracker Barrel. I rarely see them in groceries. They
were a common grocery store item back when we lived in North Carolina
but that's now a long time ago.

So I get the pieces when I can, the half ham size about once per year.
It freezes well so I get the big one, cut it up, freeze and wrap the
pieces, use them gradually.

On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:50:37 +0000 (UTC), Doug Freyburger
<[email protected]> wrote:

> So I get the pieces when I can, the half ham size about once per year.
> It freezes well so I get the big one, cut it up, freeze and wrap the
> pieces, use them gradually.

I'd do that if I had the opportunity. I don't use much ham per year.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.