Food & Wine USA - (12)December 2018

12 DECEMBER 2018

EDITOR’S LETTER

THERE’S AN ENTRY ON p. 754 of my grandmother’s 1964 edition of Joy of

Cooking that defines eternity as “a ham and two people. But one may while

away the time more than tolerably if he remembers to serve the choicer

parts of a ham first.”

his time of year, when country ham is on my menus from Christmas to

beyond New Year’s, they’re all the choicer parts. Holiday prep starts when a

box postmarked Madisonville, Tennessee, lands on my doorstep smelling of

hickory smoke and glorious ham funk. Inside is a 14-pound, 24-month-aged

hind leg of pig from Allan Benton’s smokehouse.

For years I adhered to the traditional Southern approach: I soaked my hams

in several changes of water, scrubbed them, and simmered or slow-baked

them. hat was before I spent an afternoon with Benton at his outfit, see-

ing the hams hanging in various stages of maturity. He reminded me about

the care, time, and labor—the butchering, salting, smoking, and waiting—

that goes into creating a product on par with the best prosciutto of Italy or

jamón ibérico of Spain.

My ham plan now goes like this: hree days before Christmas, I fasten the

ham to a stand and remove the thick, leathery skin and outermost layer of

brown fat, revealing the pearlescent white fat and ruby-red flesh underneath.

Using a long, thin blade, I slice the ham as thinly as possible to share with

friends and family alongside glasses of Champagne and platters of oysters.

On Christmas morning, slightly thicker slices go into a hot cast-iron skillet

to crisp the fat before being stuffed into buttermilk biscuits slathered with

fig preserves. A few days later, some of the trim and bone go into a broth

for black-eyed peas and collards that will become a hoppin’ John stew for

New Year’s. Next comes a big batch of split pea soup. And finally, the skin

and scraps get portioned and frozen as treats for Birdie, our salty family dog.

hinking about ham for the holidays? Check out our guide on p. 27, featuring

recipes and tips. For my fellow Joy of Cooking fans, read about the fascinating

history of the family behind the book in “Ode to Joy” (p. 93) by contributor

Kat Kinsman. Cooking for friends and family? Go all out and source the best

birds (p. 110), bubbles (pp. 67 and 68), or even white truffles (p. 54).

his December issue features only the choicer parts. From my table to

yours, happy holidays.

HUNTER LEWIS

@NOTESFROMACOOK

[email protected]

From the

Home Office

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A Ritual

of Ham

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THE TASTEMAKER

My former editor (and

French pastr y–loving

friend) Christine Muhlke

is the ultimate insider,

known for connecting

chefs and entrepreneurs

to the best restaurants,

hotels, and shops. Sign up

for her snazzy new news-

letter at xtinenyc.com.

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GIVE BACK

F&W supports these five

organizations: No Kid

Hungry provides vulner-

able kids with nutri-

tious meals; Wellness in

the Schools promotes

healthy eating in schools;

Jones Valley Teaching

Farm delivers food-based

education in Birming-

ham, Alabama; Brigaid

taps chefs to serve

delicious, from-scratch

food in school kitchens;

and Wholesome Wave

increases access to

healthy ingredients.

PHOTOGRAPHY: JENNIFER CAUSEY; FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: CLAIRE SPOLLEN