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Kentucky Fresh Country Ham

6 slices country ham, 
     1/2 inch thick (about 2 pounds)
2 cups packed light brown sugar

Trim any rind, fat and bone residue from the ham. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil, leaving enough foil overhang to fold and seal. Sprinkle with a generous amount of the brown sugar. Alternate layers of the ham and remaining brown sugar in the prepared pan until all of the ingredients are used, ending with the brown sugar. Cover with the foil and seal. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the ham is cooked through and tender. (This is a wonderful way to cook country ham for a large dinner party.) 
Yield: 8 servings.

 
Kentucky Culture


Kentucky 
Country Ham

Country ham is perhaps the most notable traditional Kentucky food. Recipes for the perfectly cured ham are often family secrets, but most involve salt (the basic curing ingredient), sugar (to enhance flavor and act as a softening agent), and saltpeter (a color fixing agent). When hams are taken out of the salt, they are dipped in boiling water and borax, dried and covered with a mixture of salt, red pepper, and saltpeter. They are then wrapped in brown paper, placed in a cloth sack, and hung in the smokehouse. To enhance their flavor, they hang through the month of June (called "going through the June sweat"). All hams must be washed off and soaked in water before cooking. Many Kentuckians wait one to two years for the best flavor before eating a ham.

 
 
Kentucky Fresh Broccoli Corn Bread

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, melted
4 eggs
1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix
1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli,
    cooked and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
     or Swiss cheese

Sauté the onion in the margarine in a skillet. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the corn muffin mix and cottage cheese and mix well. Stir in the sautéed onion, broccoli and Cheddar cheese. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 2-inch squares. (This is a delicious accompaniment to burgoo or soups. This recipe also freezes well.)
Yield: 20 servings
   
Kentucky Fresh Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Dr. Bonnie Tanner, University of Kentucky, Assistant Director of Cooperative Extension Service for Family and Consumer Sciences

4 cups mashed baked sweet potatoes
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten

Combine the sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs salt, vanilla and milk in a mixing bowl and mix well. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish.
     Combine the pineapple, flour, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar and 2 eggs in a saucepan and mix well. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Spread over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until firm.
Yield: 8 servings.

      
   
Kentucky Fresh

Appalachian Gingerbread

1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1 cup sorghum
1 cup hot water
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Sauce (below)

Beat the egg and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the butter, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sorghum and hot water and mix well. Stir in the lour and baking soda. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
     To serve, cut into pieces and spoon the hot Sauce over the top.
Yield: 15 servings

Sauce

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine or butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until the dry ingredients are dissolved. Add the margarine and vanilla and mix well until smooth. (For Lemon Sauce, add 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice.)
Yield: 15 servings.

      
 
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