Country Ham and Macaroni and Cheese – Virginia

Jayne:  Virginia is known for Country Ham.  Served in a biscuit, on a plate with eggs, red-eye gravy and grits, or plattered with Turkey during the holidays, Country Ham should be the official Virginia food, but I think that is the oyster. I know that coastal Virginia loves its oysters, but I believe they made a mistake.  Ham biscuits are served just about everywhere in Virginia and throughout the South — tailgates, buffets, picnics, and potlucks.

Our first President, George Washington, loved Country Ham.  He and the First Lady had a couple hundred hogs per year smoked and ready for guests.  They also sent barrels of ham to France to friends like Marquis de Lafayette and his wife.  And according to the Christian Science Monitor, Queen Victoria had a standing order for six Virginia hams a week.

Not all hams from Virginia are “Country hams” and not all “Country hams” are from Virginia (this style of ham is produced all across the south).  A Country ham is very salty, as they are dry-cured with salt, and spiced (often with sugar and pepper), usually smoked (though not always), and then left to hang and age anywhere from a few months to several years.  Traditionally (in the Colonial era), these special hogs were raised on a diet of Virginia peanuts and peaches. 

Macaroni and cheese likely came to the colonies from northern Europe, but Virginia’s Thomas Jefferson popularized it after tasting the noodle dish in France.  As President, he served it at a State dinner in 1802.  And since then, it has become a classic American comfort food – no matter if it is from a blue and yellow box or from scratch.   

Mary Randolph, the author of America’s first regional cookbook, published the country’s first recipe for macaroni and cheese casserole in The Virginia Housewife in 1824. She was a distant cousin, as well as in-law, of Thomas Jefferson.  She also descended from Pocahontas and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.  Her history is fascinating (reminded me of Hamilton, the Musical) and a window into early American aristocracy.    Today, she’d be a Food Network phenonemon.  

So how do Country Ham and Macaroni and Cheese come together, you ask?  In between Washington, D.C. and Monticello, Jefferson’s home in Virginia, the Inn at Little Washington, has served a version that combines both the Country Ham and Macaroni and Cheese.  It is flavorful, salty and very American.   I think both Presidents are smiling. 

For the recipes, I include a good one for Country Ham that is purchased uncooked, but many are already fully cooked (which I highly recommend unless you have a lot of time).  Also below, is the recipe for the Macaroni and Cheese with Country Ham dish from the Inn at Little Washington.*

Country Ham —

Ingredients:

• One 10 – 12-pound uncooked Virginia ham (country-cured – not the “pink packing-house hams” with water added)
• 1 ¼ c fairly fine soft white breadcrumbs
• 1 ¼ c firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tbs light corn syrup
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¾ c butter, melted
• 2 Tbs whole cloves  

Directions:

1. Place the ham in the sink, cover with warm water, then, using a stiff brush, scrub off the ash, salt, and mold (this is harmless).  You’ll have to change the water several times as you scrub.
2. Rinse the ham well, then place in a large oval kettle.  Cover the ham with cold water and soak overnight, changing the water two or three times.  Next day, scrub the ham again and rinse well.  Also wash the kettle. 
3. Return the ham to the kettle, cover with cold water, set over moderate heat, and bring to a simmer.  Drain the ham and rinse both it and the kettle.
4. Once again, place the ham in the kettle and cover with cold water.  Set over moderate heat and bring to a simmer.  Adjust the heat so the water barely trembles, cover the kettle, and cook the ham for 5 – 5 ½ hours or until fork tender.  To minimize the ham’s saltiness, change the cooking water every hour or so.  Drain the ham well and chill overnight.
5. When ready to proceed, preheat the oven to 350 deg. F. Remove the ham rind, then trim the outer layer of fat until no more than ¼ inch thick.
6. Combine the breadcrumbs, brown sugar, corn syrup, and ground cloves in a large mixing bowl, then add the melted butter, mixing as you go, until the mixture holds together when pinched.
7. Pat the crumb mixture thickly and firmly over the ham, then, using a sharp knife, score in a diamond patter, spacing the cuts about 1 1 /2 inches apart.  Stud the center of each diamond with a whole clove.
8. Ease the ham into a large, shallow baking pan, and bake uncovered in the lower third of the oven for 45 – 50 minutes or until the crumb crust is golden brown.
9. Remove the ham from the oven and cool to room temperature. Carve into slices as thin as onion skin and serve in biscuits or on a platter. 

Macaroni and Cheese with Country Ham —

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• ¾ pound dried elbow macaroni or your favorite tubular pasta
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs + 1 tsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbs minced shallot
• 2 c heavy cream (or 1 c whole milk and 1 c cream)
• ½ c freshly grated aged Gouda cheese
• ¼ c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 slices Virginia country ham, finely julienned
• 2 tsp snipped fresh chives

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the macaroni and cook for about 6 minutes, until half-done (the interior will be slightly raw).  Drain, put the pasta in a bowl, and toss with the oil to keep the macaroni from sticking together.  Allow the pasta to cool.
2. In a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 2 Tbs of butter.  Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, being careful not to let them brown.  Add the cream, bring to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cream has reduced by one quarter and coats the back of a spoon.
3. Whisk in the cheeses and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, until cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Stir in the cooked macaroni and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes to warm through.
4. Meanwhile, saute the ham in a small saucepan with the remaining butter, until crispy.
5. When ready to serve, garnish each portion with the ham and chives. 

*Special thanks to Jean Anderson and her cookbook, A Love Affair with Southern Cooking, for the Country Ham recipe, as well as to Garden and Gun for the Inn at Little Washington Macaroni and Cheese with Country Ham recipe.

**Thank you to NPR Station WAMU’s Mikaela Lefrak, for the history of Country Ham.