pork

Special Easter Ham: Baked Cola-Brined Fresh Ham

by liz · Mar 4, 2019

Easter ham is a tradition for many people on Easter Sunday. Brining the meat – soaking or marinating meat overnight using a solution containing salt and other ingredients – is also a popular way to prepare meats. But, have you tried a cola-brined ham? In the South, they’ve been brining meat in cola for a long time. Brining helps the meat stay moist by saturating the cells with the solution before baking it, and cola adds some sweetness and tang to the meat. You can even use another Southern favorite for brining – Dr. Pepper!

Brining is different from braising, although they are both ways to increase the moisture content in meat. Braising is cooking the meat mostly submerged in broth or liquid instead of marinating beforehand (like this Drunken Pork recipe). If you’d rather start with a smoked (fully-cooked) ham, try this Mango & Cider-Roasted Ham.

Brining meats, especially pork in cola, has become a popular way to prepare meat in recent years, and this recipe makes for a tasty new flavor to include in your traditional Easter brunch or dinner. This Oklahoma girl will definitely be brining ham with Dr. Pepper – the only soda worth the calories in my opinion – and thinking of home. Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Baked Cola-Brined Ham

Recipe by El Mejor Nido

Ingredients for 8-10 servings:

3 bottles (2 liters each) cola or other dark-colored soda (such as root beer or Dr. Pepper)
1 1/2 cups salt
1 (6 to 8 pounds) bone-in, shank or butt portion fresh ham (half a leg), skin on
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 8 cloves)
1 tablespoon Granulated Chicken Bouillon

Directions:

COMBINE cola and salt in a medium-size cooler or other 10-quart bucket or stockpot; stir to dissolve the salt.

USING a sharp knife, score entire surface of ham in a crosshatch or diamond pattern, cutting down just through the skin. Place ham in the brine, submerging completely. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

POSITION oven rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 500° F.

COMBINE parsley, oil, garlic and bouillon in small bowl; stir well.

REMOVE ham from brine. Rinse it well under cold water then pat dry with paper towels. Place the ham wide-side-down in a large roasting pan with a flat rack. Rub outside of ham all over with the bouillon mixture, pressing it gently into scored slices between the skin.

BAKE uncovered for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F and continue to bake until the roast reaches 150° F on an instant-read thermometer (this should take 2 to 2 1/2 hours, about 20 to 25 minutes per pound of ham). After the first hour, it’s a good idea to loosely wrap foil around the bone to keep it from burning.

TRANSFER the roast to a carving board and tent with foil; allow the roast to sit at room temperature until the internal roast temperature reaches 160° F (about 20 to 30 minutes). The roast is now ready to carve.

Cola-Brined Easter Ham

Author: Meals.com

Recipe type: Main

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 2 hours 39 mins

Total time: 3 hours 9 mins

Serves: 10

Brining an Easter ham in cola (or Dr. Pepper) is divine.

Ingredients

3 bottles (2 liters each) cola or other dark-colored soda (such as COKE or DR. PEPPER)
1½ cups salt
1 (6 to 8 pounds) bone-in, shank or butt portion fresh ham (half a leg), skin on
⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 8 cloves)
1 tablespoon Granulated Chicken Bouillon
Directions:
COMBINE cola and salt in a medium-size cooler or other 10-quart bucket or stockpot; stir to dissolve the salt.
USING a sharp knife, score entire surface of ham in a crosshatch or diamond pattern, cutting down just through the skin. Place ham in the brine, submerging completely. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
POSITION oven rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 500° F.
COMBINE parsley, oil, garlic and bouillon in small bowl; stir well.
REMOVE ham from brine. Rinse it well under cold water then pat dry with paper towels. Place the ham wide-side-down in a large roasting pan with a flat rack. Rub outside of ham all over with the bouillon mixture, pressing it gently into scored slices between the skin.
BAKE uncovered for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F and continue to bake until the roast reaches 150° F on an instant-read thermometer (this should take 2 to 2½ hours, about 20 to 25 minutes per pound of ham). After the first hour, it’s a good idea to loosely wrap foil around the bone to keep it from burning.
TRANSFER the roast to a carving board and tent with foil; allow the roast to sit at room temperature until the internal roast temperature reaches 160° F (about 20 to 30 minutes). The roast is now ready to carve.

Instructions

COMBINE cola and salt in a medium-size cooler or other 10-quart bucket or stockpot; stir to dissolve the salt.
USING a sharp knife, score entire surface of ham in a crosshatch or diamond pattern, cutting down just through the skin. Place ham in the brine, submerging completely. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
POSITION oven rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 500° F.
COMBINE parsley, oil, garlic and bouillon in small bowl; stir well.
REMOVE ham from brine. Rinse it well under cold water then pat dry with paper towels. Place the ham wide-side-down in a large roasting pan with a flat rack. Rub outside of ham all over with the bouillon mixture, pressing it gently into scored slices between the skin.
BAKE uncovered for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F and continue to bake until the roast reaches 150° F on an instant-read thermometer (this should take 2 to 2½ hours, about 20 to 25 minutes per pound of ham). After the first hour, it’s a good idea to loosely wrap foil around the bone to keep it from burning.
TRANSFER the roast to a carving board and tent with foil; allow the roast to sit at room temperature until the internal roast temperature reaches 160° F (about 20 to 30 minutes). The roast is now ready to carve.

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Luscious Leftovers: New Year Bloody Mary Meatloaf

by liz · Jan 1, 2019

New Year's Bloody Mary Meatloaf — New Year’s Bloody Mary Meatloaf

After a long New Year’s weekend, we had a fridge full of leftovers and a craving for comfort food. My friend the Comedienne thought up this recipe as she rummaged through a fridge-full of delicious dinner, snack and cocktail-mix remnants.

It’s great after the holidays or any time you have a lot of leftovers in the kitchen. Caramelize some onions and garlic, then add any delectable tidbits you have in the fridge: roasted potatoes, chicken and fennel sausage, figs, stuffing or other side dishes and casseroles. Blending these additions before mixing them into the ground beef spreads the flavors throughout the loaf. And after the holidays, the time is right for a unique, home-made catsup using spicy Bloody Mary mix, something we had plenty of on New Year’s Day. Perfect for curing hangovers and filling bellies.

New Year Bloody Mary Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2-4 gourmet sausages (jalapeño mango, chicken fennel or any other gourmet grocery variety)
Any amount of other leftovers (stuffing, figs, tomatoes, vegetables, gravy, etc.)
1 pound ground beef
Freshly ground salt & pepper
4 T fresh basil, chopped
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (fresh)
1/4 cup milk
Spicy Bloody Mary mix
Leftover cheese (we used Carmody, but anything will do)
5 slices pancetta

Directions:

Warm the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until slightly browned/caramelized. Remove sausages from their casings, and blend along with other leftovers until smooth (if you’re using a larger amount of leftovers, reduce sausages to 2). Add half the onion/garlic mixture and blend in.

Add this blended mixture to the ground beef. Add salt, pepper, 1 cup spicy Bloody Mary mix, 2 T fresh basil, eggs, breadcrumbs and milk. Mix thoroughly.

Oil a large baking pan with sides. Lay the meat mixture in the pan in long thin layer. In the middle, lay down a strip of cheese – however much you like, we recommend a lot – and roll sides of loaf up and over the cheese (like a jelly roll). Put the meatloaf in the fridge to set and preheat the oven to 350.

Put reserve onions/garlic in small stockpot and add 2-3 cups spicy Bloody Mary mix. Add 1/4 cup red wine leftover from the night before (if you were all big drinkers the night before, you can substitute with balsamic vinegar). Cook over medium heat until reduced by half. Turn the heat off.

Place meatloaf on prepared pan and top it with a layer of the reduced Bloody Mary mixture, then lay the pancetta on top. Cook for 45 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Garnish with remaining fresh basil and serve with Bloody Mary catsup.

Obviously, this meatloaf pairs very well with both leftover red wine and – you guessed it – spicy Bloody Marys. You’ll feel better almost immediately.

The Ham & High: Locally Sourced Ingredients in Montgomery

by liz · Sep 1, 2011

Montgomery Alabama is, as one would expect, full of down home cookin’ and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Being from a central mid-western state myself, I loved the barbecue, mashed potatoes with mounds of butter, baked beans and hot dogs with all the fixin’s. And don’t forget the grits!

But I was very excited to find a new-fangled restaurant in town that uses local produce – sourced from its neighborhood farm just across the street – and a fresh approach to Southern cooking. The Ham & High, in the new Hampstead urban living space (you may have read about it in Food & Wine) changes their menu every day, and serves brunch on Sundays…with grits on the menu.

My brunching partner and I decided to kick it off with cocktails, above. Him: Ham & High Farm-Fresh Bloody Mary. Me: Basil Shrug with gin. Who doesn’t love a garden-to-glass basil drink in a jar? (Get a similar recipe here to make it at home.)

We couldn’t resist ordering something Southern..steak and farm eggs over creamy, cheesy grits. I’ve had a lot of grits in my life and these were perfectly cooked: a delightfully red-necked rendition of risotto.

Next was the French toast Monte Cristo sandwich with maple syrup and strawberry preserves, served with shoestring fries and smoked ketchup, shown above. Gruyère, ham, French toast, syrup and fries? I can’t think of a better heap of grub for one dish.

And to round it out, we had to try the house-made sausage of bacon and jalapeño, which was easily the best thing we ate that Sunday.

But the best thing we did that Sunday was what we did next: head home in the heat and humidity – bellies full, gin settled in – and hit the hay for a long afternoon nap.

If I get the chance to eat my fill in Montgomery again, I’ll be back here for a proper dinner. Right after my afternoon cocktail. And a nap.

Jamón, Octopus & Garlic Fish: Cantabria Restaurant

by liz · Apr 4, 2011

Staying in Cantabria, Spain has its benefits: it’s a 30-minute drive to the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, it has luscious green countryside dotted with caves containing early human paintings, and it’s unspoilt by foreign tourists – meaning it still has some really great, secret Cantabria restaurants.

One of them is La Lonja in the fishing/port town of Santoña. It’s right on the edge of the port and you can’t miss it – the whole building looks like a ship. The bar and restaurant are on the ground floor, overlooking the waters from whence your dinner came…and mere hours before!

Since this is a seafood restaurant right on the fishing pier, I am committed to having octopus and fresh fish, but not before I start with some jamón ibérico, or pata negra. One of my missions on this trip had suddenly become eating jamón ibérico at every meal, or at the very least, every day. I was not disappointed by this cured meat made from the black Iberian pig indigenous to Spain, partido a cuchillo, or hand-cut by knife the artisinal way. No slicers here.

The Pulpo a la brasa, octopus from the grill, was perfectly cooked and served with chili oil, potatoes and peppers. It had such a soft texture, with a lovely fire-grill taste on the outside.

Next was besugo (sea bream or snapper) from the grill, cooked with olive oil, white wine and garlic. Filleted at the table and served simply on its own.

All washed down with a crisp white Ribera del Asón from the local province, Voto. This simple non-appellation blend of Albariño and Chardonnay was a perfect complement to a perfect starry night at the unspoilt, and yes perfect, edge of Spain.

Asador Tinto in Rioja Spain: Pata Negra Makes Getting Older Easier

by liz · Apr 1, 2011

So here I am, having a birthday that has been hailed as the new 30. I’m single and childless and gainfully employed. So far, I’m not convinced.

Luckily, I had a new beau who just happened to be a wonderful baker — and believe me, a woman’s heart definitely can be won over with beautifully baked levain bread. We decided the best way to celebrate this birthday was an eating/drinking tour in Europe…specifically Rioja, Spain, Basque country and Bordeaux. France & Spain here we come!

My first nibble/birthday treat on foreign soil from the Baker was to be classic French macarons at the Paris airport between flights. A perfect start. Then arriving in Madrid, driving to our inn in Rioja: an old royal palace, Hospedería Señorío de Briñas…amazing. And a sparkling Spanish cava toast in the room on arrival? Lovely touch!

Now to find dinner. Most places in our little town of Briñas were already closed, so we were recommended Asador Tinto in Haro: close by, loved by locals, quiet. We headed there immediately.

Turns out it was a favorite of all kinds of city workers on break this time of night. Ambulances, police cars and empty buses were parked outside, and their drivers were inside, feasting on pata negra and Rioja wine, the Spanish version of donuts and coffee. We took a table in the modern warehouse-esque interior.

First – birthday wine! A Crianza: ruby-colored, smooth with hints of cherry and fennel. This is why you come to Rioja.

Second — birthday pork! Jamón ibérico, or pata negra, or the finest ham in the world: the first of many plates of pata on this trip.

Third — birthday lambs’ feet (gelatinous, sticky and slimy all at the same time) and then birthday steak (perfect for a girl from Oklahoma!) with fries and pimentos.

And then this Spanish truck stop produced a final birthday treat – Sorbete de Limón con Cava, or lemon sorbet topped with cava, with a birthday sparkler.

Well maybe it wasn’t the final treat. I still had the room at the inn and the Baker.

This Week: National Blueberry Pie, Oatmeal Cookie & Raisin Days

by liz · Feb 28, 2011

I love food holidays. There is a food holiday for everything, and it gives me direction on what to eat and cook. Today for instance, is National Blueberry Pie day, so I promptly started searching for blueberry pie-ish recipes. I found this Perfect Match Blueberry Lemon Pie; it would be even better with a little Meyer lemon added.

Next I found this Red, White and Blueberry Torte, which adds a chocolatey cake-like crust and more berries. Another great option for Blueberry Pie day. And if you really want something different, try these Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes or Corn Blueberry Muffins.

Then, for a real chocolate-covered treat, I’ll try these Chocolate Chocolate Raisinets Cookies. Baking cocoa plus chocolate-covered raisins in this recipe really doubles the fun!