Baked Country Ham
by Matt Lee and Ted Lee
from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
(W.W. Norton, 2006)
For 6 to 8 people

Baked country ham is the centerpiece of a proper Thanksgiving or Christmas meal in many parts of the South and a culinary achievement comparable to the Chinese thousand-year-old egg. Its flavor is powerfully porky, deliciously robust, minerally, and deep, and is perfectly complemented by the flavor of cinnamon and cloves. Though it's nowhere near as salty as uncooked, unsoaked country ham, it's still a good idea to have on hand some great relishes, like watermelon rind or fig preserves, or a few pickled peaches to take the edge off. A baked country ham takes some time to prepare, but it's not complicated and it's well worth the effort.

Note: Before you begin, make sure you have a boiling pot big enough to accommodate the ham. Most cooks arrange for their butcher to cut off the narrow hock end of the ham to make the ham fit better; we prefer to let the hock protrude a few inches above the surface of the water. As long as the meaty majority of the bulb-shaped ham is submerged, you're in good shape. We've found small, 8-pound hams that fit nicely, hock and all, in an 8-gallon boiling pot.

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1. Under warm running water, scrape any surface mold, seasonings, cobwebs, or any other matter from the ham with a stiff brush. Place the ham in an 8-gallon stockpot and fill it with water to cover the ham. Let the ham soak for 24 hours, changing the water as often as possible, ideally once every 6 hours.

2. Change the water a final time and transfer the pot to a stovetop. Add the bay leaves, mustard seeds, and vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 2 hours, topping up, as necessary, with fresh water.

3. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

4. Remove the ham from the stockpot and turn off the heat. When the ham is cool enough to handle, shave off the skin (but not the fat) with a sharp knife. Score the fat and exposed flesh in a diagonal pattern, stud it with a single clove in the center of each scored diamond, and pat it thoroughly on all sides with the brown sugar.

5. Place the ham on a rack in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the fat has crisped and the sugar has melted into a nice glaze. Let rest on the rack for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and carve.

What to drink: A perfectly baked country ham, scented with clove and bracingly salty, is an ideal excuse for serving the South's greatest wine, made from native Scuppernong grapes. Resist the urge to drink bone-dry wines on this occasion and seek out off-dry varieties made by Duplin Winery in Rose Hill, North Carolina, and lrvin-House Vineyards on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina.