For The "LOVE" Of Pork

For those who are doing a ham this holiday season. From Alton Brown and the Food Network. Once you try this ham you may never cook it any other way.

City Ham from Alton Brown

Ingredients
1 city style (brined) ham, hock end*
1/4 cup brown mustard
2 cups dark brown sugar
1-ounce bourbon (poured into a spritz bottle)
2 cups crushed ginger snap cookies

Directions


Heat oven to 250 degrees F.



Remove ham from bag, rinse and drain thoroughly. Place ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan. Using a small paring knife or clean utility knife set to the smallest blade setting, score the ham from bottom to top, spiraling clockwise as you cut. (If you're using a paring knife, be careful to only cut through the skin and first few layers of fat). Rotate the ham after each cut so that the scores are no more than 2-inches across. Once you've made it all the way around, move the knife to the other hand and repeat, spiraling counter clockwise. The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham. (Don't worry too much about precision here.)



Tent the ham with heavy duty foil, insert a thermometer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers 130 degrees F.



Remove and use tongs to pull away the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that come off with them.



Heat oven to 350 degrees F.



Dab dry with paper towels, then brush on a liberal coat of mustard, using either a basting brush or a clean paint brush (clean as in never-touched paint). Sprinkle on brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is coated. Spritz this layer lightly with bourbon, then loosely pack on as much of the crushed cookies as you can.



Insert the thermometer (don't use the old hole) and return to the oven (uncovered). Cook until interior temperature reaches 140 degrees F, approximately 1 hour.



Let the roast rest for 1/2 hour before carving.



*Cook's note: A city ham is basically any brined ham that's packed in a plastic bag, held in a refrigerated case and marked "ready to cook", "partially cooked" or "ready to serve". Better city hams are also labeled "ham in natural juices".

Any one else making a pork roast for Christmas? I am going to brine a shoulder (on sale this week @ King Supers $1.49lb), and just have a simple old school roast.

Large dutch oven, salt and pepper roast, sear roast off, remove roast, add (carrots, celery, onion, garlic, jalapinos, green bell pepper), put roast back in fat cap up, cover about half way up with chicken broth, add one large bay leaf, cover and let it go 3 1/2 hours or so.

Merry Christmas to All of You

OK, Just because it's Cristmas and I didn't get you all anything. Now don't abuse it, OK.

Candied Bacon

1/2 Sheet Pan, Lined with Foil (dont skip this step)
Cooling Rack on top
1 1/2lb Thick Cut Bacon
Sprits the baco with some Southern Comfort (you don't half to but it's XMas)
Put a little mound of dark brown sugar doun each one

Start in a cold oven. Set to 425 and put in on pre heat. When it reaches 425 rotate the pan. Keep a eye on them. Bake untill firm and stiff.