High on the Hog

Ham: the quintessential course for every holiday table

written by monica parcell

Hamming It Up: Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork’s country prosciutto, which comes from heritage-breed pigs, is seasoned with brown sugar and cured for a year, lending a flavor similar to Spain’s serrano ham.

It’s that time of year when, unless you’re a total Scrooge, the opportunity to eat your weight in ham biscuits presents itself. Which, for many of us, is a high point of the holiday season. We know: they’re always around—at weddings, showers, and other Important Events. But at Thanksgiving and especially Christmas, they’re almost a sacrament, invoking with every bite a sense of comforting nostalgia, as well as providing reliably good eating.

We don’t use the word “sacrament” lightly. There are those for whom a holiday party without a plate of ham biscuits is sacrilege. Fortunately, for every jaded hostess and insatiable foodie, there’s a new ham in town—combining Old South traditions with even older ones from Europe—that will satisfy those who hanker for something slightly different and those who see no need to tinker with perfection. Hailing from St. Matthews (just outside Columbia), the country prosciutto from Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork is best sliced paper thin. It’s not as salty, so it can be served on its own like prosciutto or serrano ham from Spain, but the flavors are robust enough to sandwich in a biscuit.

Besides fattening up on organic corn and heirloom grains from neighboring Anson Mills gristmill, the heritage-breed pigs at Caw Caw Creek forage freely under a canopy of red and white oaks, feasting on acorns—just the diet and exercise that gives jamon ibérico de bellota, Spain’s finest cured ham, its nutty flavor profile and mostly monounsaturated fat content.

Owner Emile DeFelice is an Atlanta native, but he spent part of his childhood in Italy, so he came up with something of a cross-cultural approach to cured ham: he seasons each one with brown sugar in good Southern fashion, then cures them for a year using Old World methods. There is one proviso: Caw Caw Creek, whose products carry the Certified Humane Raised and Handled label, sells only whole hams (many of them to some of the best restaurants in the state and throughout the country). But once your guests get a taste of it, one ham should be just enough to last through the holiday season. Come to think of it, a whole ham also makes a fine gift for that someone on your list who has everything—or for whom good ham is nothing short of a gift from the gods (or the Magi, for that matter).

Recipes (November/December)

Martha’s Turnip and Mustard Greens

From “Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread, & Scuppernong Wine”
(Serves 10)

3 pounds mixed fresh turnip and mustard greens
1 lean chunk streak-o-lean pork, sliced part-way through
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
Finely chopped onions
Cider vinegar

Remove stems; rinse greens, then soak them in water fifteen minutes to remove any trace of grit. Rinse again, place in a large pot, and add enough water to half cover. Add the meat, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the greens 1-1/2 hours. Drain well in a colander, remove, and discard the meat. Serve the greens hot with the onions and vinegar to be spooned over each serving.

Struffoli

Italian holiday cookies

Tender, golden puffs of dough, delicately fried, then dipped in honey and garnished with candied fruits or colored sprinkles, depending on the taste of the cook. Though these delectably sweet pastries made only one appearance per year—during the holidays— struffoli have deep roots in Italian culture, garnering a mention in a book written in the 1600s. Similar recipes exist in various Mediterranean cultures, such as the Greeks’ lukumates, and the Italian-Jewish precipizi that are made for Hanukkah. Try making some yourself to expand your holiday baking repertoire.

For the dough
3 1/3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. grain alcohol
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. sugar
Zest of half a lemon, grated
Zest of half an orange, grated
Pinch salt
Olive oil for frying (need at least three inches in a stock pot)

Combine the ingredients for the dough, knead it well, then cover and let sit for an hour.
Pull off sections and roll out with palms to form half-inch tubes. Cut into quarter-inch-long pieces. Fry the pieces a few at a time until brown, then drain on paper towels. If the oil starts to froth and overflow the pot, just change the oil.

For the glaze
12 oz. honey
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 ounces each candied orange and lemon peel, half finely diced and half cut into fine strips
Garnish, optional
2 oz. small, colored candied almonds or sprinkles
4 candied cherries, halved

Bring honey, sugar, and water to a boil in another saucepan. Boil until foam dissipates and mixture begins to turn yellow. Reduce heat to low, then add the struffoli and the candied fruit. Stir to incorporate, then turn the mixture out onto a plate. Shape the mixture into a circle or pyramid. (Dip your hands frequently into cold water to avoid burns).

Garnish if desired.

Candy Cane Martini

1 ¾ oz. Frangelico
1 oz. peppermint schnapps
Splash of cream

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a peppermint syrup-laced martini glass rimmed with crushed peppermint.

The Nutcracker

Kashmir
Baileys
Frangelico

Mix equal parts of all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a clear or colorful martini glass rimmed with raw sugar and drizzled with caramel.

Recipes (September/October)

Insalata di mare (seafood salad)

(Serves 4-6)

1 lb. mussels (cleaned)
2 stalks celery
1⁄2 onion (cut in half)
Bay leaf
1 tsp. peppercorns
2 Tbs. salt
Juice of 2 lemons
1 lb. jumbo shrimp
1⁄2 lb. calamari
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup chopped flat Italian parsley

Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with one half ice and one half water. Steam mussels for three minutes and chill. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Place celery stalks (cut into quarters), onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, and juice of half a lemon in the pot and let boil for five minutes. Add shrimp and boil for two minutes, then add calamari and boil leaf, peppercorns, salt, and juice of half a lemon in the pot and let boil for five minutes. Add shrimp and boil for two minutes, then add calamari and boil for an additional minute. Drain and place into the ice bath to chill.

Dressing: In a bowl, add garlic, oregano, vinegar, remaining lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. While whisking the ingredients, slowly pour in olive oil. Toss the seafood into the bowl, add parsley, and mix well.

Trouta Cartoccio (Trout poached in parchment paper)
(Serves 4-6)

4 sheets parchment paper
Extra virgin olive oil
4 whole trout (butterfly cut with head and bones removed)
1 cup baby Roma (grape) tomatoes, halved
1⁄2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1⁄4 cup capers
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the sheets of parchment paper into 12-inch squares and brush the center of each with olive oil. Place trout diagonally in center of each square, open with the skin side down. Sprinkle one quarter of the tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, and parsley on each fish, and then drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Close the filets around the tomatoes and other ingredients. Bring the edges of the paper together, and roll and fold the paper until it is tight against the fish. Fold the ends of the paper under the fish to form a pouch. Place on a cooking sheet and bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 17 minutes. Open the packets and serve with a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil.

Recipes (July/August)

Ukraine Vinihret Salad with Thyme Dijon Vinaigrette
(Serves 4-6)

Thyme Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
1 shallot, diced
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
3 oz. Champagne vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Place shallot, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and champagne vinegar in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the vegetable oil, then olive oil. Stir in thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Beets and Salad
1 lb. golden beets
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper
¼ cup fresh rosemary
2 heads butter lettuce
¼ cup fresh peas
½ cup grape tomatoes

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Peel the beets and cut each into 6-8 wedges. Toss wedges in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place beets in a shallow roasting pan and cover with foil. Place pan in oven for 20-25 minutes (or until beets are tender). Remove from oven, toss in rosemary while still warm, then chill.

To assemble the salad, wash the butter leaf lettuce and dry between paper towels. Place in a bowl with peas, grape tomatoes, and roasted beets. Toss with 4 ounces of the vinaigrette.

Argentinean Asado
(Serves 4-6)

Marinated Beef Tenderloin
¼ cup rich red wine (like Paisaje de Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina, 2005)
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary
1 Vidalia onion, peeled and sliced
1 cup olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. cracked black pepper
2 lbs. center cut beef tenderloin

Place red wine, garlic, rosemary, and onion in a bowl. Whisk in olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Place tenderloin in a shallow pan and pour marinade over it. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2-6 hours or overnight, turning if needed. Grill until desired temperature is reached.

Asado Steak Sauce
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1 garlic clove, diced
¼ cup rich red wine
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper (less to taste)
1 cup ketchup
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

Slice mushrooms and sauté in a pan in a small amount of oil. Add garlic, red wine, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add ketchup, salt, and sugar. Serve hot or chilled with grilled tenderloin.