Football & Country Ham

Today is Kramer's (Ben's cousin) last high school football game.  He's the starting quarterback for the Sacramento All-Star Team. It'll be a blast to head to the game today at Grant High School with the fam and watch him play with some amazing student athletes from other high schools.  These are the guys he was competing against for things like player of the year in the Sacramento Bee.  Then, Kramer and I get to do biology labs together next week.  I'm beyond proud of Kramer, more as a student than as an athlete.  Because I'm not athletic, I just watch in awe at his natural talent there.  But because I am an academic, I know the hard work he's put into his grades and classes.  He's a great guy.

I'm already packed a load of country ham sandwiches to take to the game to share with everyone.  My ham arrived yesterday and I cooked it last night.  I wasn't willing to let it sit and smell up my kitchen (a ham straight from the smokehouse is a few months old at least, and tends to have some light mold and smell kinda funky from the salt, smoke and skin).  After realizing I had no way to cut through the ham bone (how come we don't have a hack saw?) I scrubbed the skin well and then used an electric knife to cut everything off the bone.  Then, into two large pots on the stove to simmer for a few hours (cutting it up also seriously reduced my cooking time, which was a very nice realization).  Since I had only pre-soaked the ham for about an hour or two, I changed out the simmering water halfway through to reduce the saltiness.

At 10:00-ish last night I pulled it all out and we cut off all the outer skin and fat, then wrapped the meat in foil and put it in the fridge.  It's easier to cut if you chill it overnight, and I like it cold anyway.  I used one of the huge sections for the sandwiches, and still have TONS of ham left.  Some I'll fry up this week, the rest will get packaged and frozen for enjoyment later in the year.

By the way--Pike & hambones...wow.  Heaven.

Machiatto watching Pike eat the hambone and being stuck on the other side of the patio door...pure torture.  lol.