Gomer1
Senior Cook
I have been talking and bugging Larry quite a bit about his Thanksgiving Ham because I want to do one for Christmas. I was originally going to just have 1 friend over but once word got out well, the guest list has reached 15 people now!
So I really slacked off on getting a Ready Cook ham.. Long story: I went out to a few grocery stores and all they had were some shotty fully cooked hams. I was losing my mind. I went home and started searching the internet for ready cook hams trying to find them locally, calling butchers whatever I could think of. Eventually I figured out they are "Country Hams" and (as Larry had cooked) Smithfield seemed to be the best.
I didn't think I had much of a chance of finding a Smithfield with so little notice so I set my sites on just *any* country ham (maybe 2 depending on the weight). I searched online more and more and found a thread somewhere w/ a guy looking for one in California (I am in Seattle Washington) so I figured I would see if any of the suggestions existed here as well since they were close..
The only place that was around here was Ranch 99 Market, an Asian grocery chain. The person said they sometimes have half Country Hams. Being desperate I was willing to settle for half hams. I drove out to the Ranch 99 Market (I didn't want to call I have a horrid time understanding foreign people on the phone, I did my last job interview w/ a Bosnian and I just said yes to everything, I have been working for them for almost a year and a half now hehe).
So I enter the store and I don't see a single ham in the place. I look on the counter and there are some picnic cuts in some fancy bags. Then I look all the way left and there she was, 19 lbs or sweet sweet pig. Not only did I find my country ham but it was a Smithfield! I bought it right away and took her home. I have been reading up on how to prepare and cook it.
So I am super excited for my biggest cook and to have such a great piece of meat to work with! More pics as she gets going. Sorry for such a long post!
So I really slacked off on getting a Ready Cook ham.. Long story: I went out to a few grocery stores and all they had were some shotty fully cooked hams. I was losing my mind. I went home and started searching the internet for ready cook hams trying to find them locally, calling butchers whatever I could think of. Eventually I figured out they are "Country Hams" and (as Larry had cooked) Smithfield seemed to be the best.
I didn't think I had much of a chance of finding a Smithfield with so little notice so I set my sites on just *any* country ham (maybe 2 depending on the weight). I searched online more and more and found a thread somewhere w/ a guy looking for one in California (I am in Seattle Washington) so I figured I would see if any of the suggestions existed here as well since they were close..
The only place that was around here was Ranch 99 Market, an Asian grocery chain. The person said they sometimes have half Country Hams. Being desperate I was willing to settle for half hams. I drove out to the Ranch 99 Market (I didn't want to call I have a horrid time understanding foreign people on the phone, I did my last job interview w/ a Bosnian and I just said yes to everything, I have been working for them for almost a year and a half now hehe).
So I enter the store and I don't see a single ham in the place. I look on the counter and there are some picnic cuts in some fancy bags. Then I look all the way left and there she was, 19 lbs or sweet sweet pig. Not only did I find my country ham but it was a Smithfield! I bought it right away and took her home. I have been reading up on how to prepare and cook it.
So I am super excited for my biggest cook and to have such a great piece of meat to work with! More pics as she gets going. Sorry for such a long post!