Ham Cuts for Lunch

Ham

by Mark Fitzgerald

"Aug. 5. Away early, drove 5 miles and the axletree of my carriage broke . . . stop and repair. Went fishing, no luck. Off at 3, encamped close to the river where there had been immense destruction of wagons and property. Plenty of currants, no game. Cooked bread and boiled our last ham which was nearly spoiled. Sat up late and sang songs."

Ham was an excellent way of preserving pork in the 1800s.  Like sausage it is cured with salt, sugar and sodium nitrite.  Because they are cured nearly all supermarket hams are fully cooked through.  Look on the label for "fully cooked."  When looking on the label try to avoid hams that are marked "water added," "water product," or "injected."  These all have water added to the ham to increase its weight.  The downside is that it decreases the texture and taste of the ham.  

If you are looking for 30 servings go for a 10 pound ham.  There are probably a lot of people that think I am under estimating.  I am not aiming for a dinner portion, but rather to put on bread.  I am also not cooking it, loosing water and juices to evaporation.  I am also not looking for leftovers.  A bone in a 10 pound ham should be about 1 pound.  With the remaining 9 pounds I am looking to get a good 30, 1/4 pound cuts with some leftover. 

Ingredients 

2.5 lbs ham, plus the weight of the bone (between .5 and 1 pound)

Directions

Slice to individual serving sizes.  Cut out the bone and save for cooking with beans.

Information

Makes 10, 4 ounce servings
150 calories per serving

Make sure to see how this recipe fits into the entire menu we have cooked up for LDS Pioneer Handcart Trek recreations.