Southern MD stuffed ham????

jtarpley59 · Dec 6, 2011

My butcher and more in Annapolis.

Mdeng · Dec 6, 2011

I'm trying to talk the wife into teaching a stuffed ham class. Anyone here interested in learning from an experienced cook?

Please note that I am trying to talk her into it so nothing set in stone here. Maybe I'll have to change the company name to Genesis Firearms & Stuffed Hams :lol2:

Edit: McKay's does not have hams in as of today. They expect to get some in this week.
Nicks of Clinton in Waldorf has them in stock and ready to be ordered.

Mdeng

SOMDSHOOT · Dec 6, 2011

Yep. it's about time for me to get my big bawlin' pots out. I make stuffed hams every year for Christmas gifts for my wife family. They never seem to forget this "tradition" LOL

n&n'sdad · Dec 6, 2011

That's my favorite part of the holidays,nothing better than the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner than stuffed ham on a hot biscut.DAMN I'M HUNGRY!

joemac · Dec 7, 2011

Mdeng said:
McKays or Nicks. Make sure you have the bone removed by chissle not cut out. My wife and I make several each year. Don't cut the greans to fine or they will turn to mush when cooked and trim as much of the fat off as possible the greese will collect in the greens and make it slimmy.

Blasphemy, traditionally the bone was not cut out and it is a major PITA to stuff it without the bone.

mikec said:
OK folks, I see two different terms here, corned ham and stuffed ham. Are they the same or different? What are they? I know what corned beef is, is corned ham similar?? Why would someone "corn" a ham? What is the flavor like?

The corned ham gets its name from corns of salt. Historically a large grain of salt resembled a kernel of corn. The ham is brined in a strong salt water solution with some other things for about two weeks. This is what gives the ham its saltiness and its pink color.

Sportstud4891 said:
I'm thinking this would no longer be a southern maryland stuffed ham. We locals like to keep it traditional.

Yes I agree, but this also includes none of this baking crap or taking the bone out. There is a key step when boiling a ham that either makes it or breaks it. Baking omits the step completely.

My recipe has been handed down for at least 4 generations that I can count. I use 3 heads of cabbage, 2lbs of kale, and 2 lbs of onions. And those of you getting pre cut slop from Mckays are missing out.

Sportstud4891 · Dec 7, 2011

joemac said:
My recipe has been handed down for at least 4 generations that I can count. I use 3 heads of cabbage, 2lbs of kale, and 2 lbs of onions. And those of you getting pre cut slop from Mckays are missing out.

Feel like sharing or is it a family secret?

joemac · Dec 7, 2011

Sportstud4891 said:
Feel like sharing or is it a family secret?

There aren't enough people still making stuffed hams to worry about it being a secret. Most peoples recipes have gotten so far away from the traditional method that I don't have to worry about it being adopted either. I'd answer any questions you have through PM and give you a general run down of my process. Generally speaking there are only one or two things I do differently. These couple things though make the difference between a bland tasteless ham and the ham that was popular 150 years ago. The best I can tell, my recipe came from my mother's father's mother, taught to me by my mom's mom. My grandparents were born in the early '20s which means that my great grandmother must have been using it around the turn of the century and I'm sure it was passed down to her. One day I am going to do some research on that heritage.

SOMDSHOOT · Dec 7, 2011

Mdeng said:
McKays or Nicks. Make sure you have the bone removed by chissle not cut out. My wife and I make several each year. Don't cut the greans to fine or they will turn to mush when cooked and trim as much of the fat off as possible the greese will collect in the greens and make it slimmy.

WHAT ? Take the bone out ?

That must be the city version of stuffed ham. Take the bone out she'll fall apart.

joemac · Dec 7, 2011

SOMDSHOOT said:
WHAT ? Take the bone out ?

That must be the city version of stuffed ham. Take the bone out she'll fall apart.

I have head of people stuffing the bone cavity instead of making slits. Taking the bone out makes it 100 times harder to stuff and I can't get as much stuffing in the ham when its all tied up to hold it together. Removing the bone is too much work.

pitjeep · Dec 7, 2011

i can remember going to church & firehouse dinners with my grandparents in the 60s & 70 s. fried oysters & stuffed ham.hollywood fire dept. use to have a hell of a stuffed ham & oyster dinner. gonna have to make that trip again maybe this spring.i will see if my mom want to go.

SOMDSHOOT · Dec 7, 2011

joemac said:
I have head of people stuffing the bone cavity instead of making slits. Taking the bone out makes it 100 times harder to stuff and I can't get as much stuffing in the ham when its all tied up to hold it together. Removing the bone is too much work.

Yeah buddy. I have never heard of anyone removing the bone from a stuffed ham, that's like a slap in the face to the whole tradition.

SOMDSHOOT · Dec 7, 2011

pitjeep said:
i can remember going to church & firehouse dinners with my grandparents in the 60s & 70 s. fried oysters & stuffed ham.hollywood fire dept. use to have a hell of a stuffed ham & oyster dinner. gonna have to make that trip again maybe this spring.i will see if my mom want to go.

Yes sir. I was just telling my wife how I use to go to all the Ham & Erster dinners down there back in the 70's with my grandparents and family. I do remember St. Josephs Church and Little Flower School. And there was another church over near Hollywood somewhere, don't recall the name of that one, but, man there is nothing like those dinners to remind you good life can be. These dinners today are just not the same.

AC MkIII · Dec 7, 2011

Born and raised in Maryland and never could figure what all the hubbub is about a stuffed ham. I guess I never had one prepared correctly. Parents were immigrants so maybe I need t get on my wife about it. Her families been he for a longtime.

joemac · Dec 7, 2011

It's a very local traditional dish. Most people don't like it their first try, or at least that has been my experience when taking it to other locales. Most people expect a sweet tasting ham. When they put this hot and salty ham in their mouths it is a shock for them. I gave one sandwich to a woman in DE last month and she loved it. My wifes two great aunts over there hated it.

pitjeep · Dec 7, 2011

SOMDSHOOT said:
Yes sir. I was just telling my wife how I use to go to all the Ham & Erster dinners down there back in the 70's with my grandparents and family. I do remember St. Josephs Church and Little Flower School. And there was another church over near Hollywood somewhere, don't recall the name of that one, but, man there is nothing like those dinners to remind you good life can be. These dinners today are just not the same.

i remember st josephs church dinner. played bingo with my grandma before & after eating. they used corn kernnels to mark the numbers. hollywood fire dept dinner still good?

Polecat · Dec 7, 2011

joemac said:
There aren't enough people still making stuffed hams to worry about it being a secret. Most peoples recipes have gotten so far away from the traditional method that I don't have to worry about it being adopted either. I'd answer any questions you have through PM and give you a general run down of my process. Generally speaking there are only one or two things I do differently. These couple things though make the difference between a bland tasteless ham and the ham that was popular 150 years ago. The best I can tell, my recipe came from my mother's father's mother, taught to me by my mom's mom. My grandparents were born in the early '20s which means that my great grandmother must have been using it around the turn of the century and I'm sure it was passed down to her. One day I am going to do some research on that heritage.

Suit your own tastes and prep methods. My wife's family has been in St Mary's since 1644, so I am sure thay have some experience from whenever they started making it. That doesn't make them an expert on other people's tastes or traditions. They made what they grew and cooked themselves. Now days since the current generation doesn't farm or raise pigs anymore they do what they can. Sure things change to a certain degree but it's all about what you and yours likes.

Mdeng · Dec 7, 2011

SOMDSHOOT said:
WHAT ? Take the bone out ?

That must be the city version of stuffed ham. Take the bone out she'll fall apart.

joemac said:
I have head of people stuffing the bone cavity instead of making slits. Taking the bone out makes it 100 times harder to stuff and I can't get as much stuffing in the ham when its all tied up to hold it together. Removing the bone is too much work.

SOMDSHOOT said:
Yeah buddy. I have never heard of anyone removing the bone from a stuffed ham, that's like a slap in the face to the whole tradition.

My family has been making Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham this way for 6 generations. You may know some of the St. Mary's family names, such as Sterling and Bell. The bone is removed without cutting the ham in half. That's why it needs to be chiseled out. The cavity is then stuffed and the ham tied tight. Then slits are cut to insert more stuffing.

I'm sure there are several ways different families prefer to prepare SoMD Stuffed Ham. We've never had a complaint, and always get asked to bring this dish to holiday parties.

Mdeng

mcbruzdzinski · Dec 8, 2011

Mdeng said:
I'm trying to talk the wife into teaching a stuffed ham class. Anyone here interested in learning from an experienced cook?

Please note that I am trying to talk her into it so nothing set in stone here. Maybe I'll have to change the company name to Genesis Firearms & Stuffed Hams

Edit: McKay's does not have hams in as of today. They expect to get some in this week.
Nicks of Clinton in Waldorf has them in stock and ready to be ordered.

Mdeng

Count me and Patty in if your wife offers the class!

Outerlimits · Dec 8, 2011

Watched my father-in-law stuff them. He was born and bred St. Marys county. Was related to the Evans in some way from St. Georges Island. Its alot of work...making the stuffing, boiling the hams, cooling. Lost him several years ago,....so I just buy it from Chaptico Market on Rt 234. Raley's in Ridge had good stuffed ham also, they may not even be open anymore though.

Sideways · Dec 9, 2011

Got 1/2 a corned ham and the other ingreds. today from McKays.
gonna give it a whirl sunday!

Southern MD stuffed ham????

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