Sunday, August 29, 2010

Monday, August 9, 2010

Pass the Tam Ham, Please


Tamworth Ham

I remember being shocked as a pre- or early teen, when Scout, the young heroine of To Kill a Mockingbird, famously exclaimed, "Pass the damn ham, please." Now I know that it was just a typo, for I just slow-cooked a wonderful 9-pound Tamworth ("Tam") ham acquired through Heritage Farms USA, and everyone wanted seconds (and, in some cases, thirds). Harper Lee obviously knew about this unctuous, tasty heritage pig and meant to have the heroine ask for some Tam ham; "damn" ham is what came out, and the rest is history.

In case you're wondering, I prepared the ham with a fennel seed rub and served it with corn kernels sauteed with shallots and whole cumin seeds, then sprinkled with lots (nearly a cup) of mixed herbs, and string beans sautéed in olive oil and finely minced fresh rosemary.


The pig theme continued with sautéed bananas accompanied by vanilla ice cream and bacon caramel sauce: really carrying the salted caramel idea to another level (recipe from Michael Symon).

Bobby Jay