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Tom Chaney: On things country ham and Gov. Clements For Christmas breakfast, he advises to obtain ham "by whatever means available" By Tom Chaney Christmas at our house meant country ham. Our father, Boots Chaney, bought hams from his friends and insurance customers all over the territory. The little closet at the back of the Withers Chaney and Green insurance agency (Before You Die, Buy, Burn or Blow Away, See Us]) was storage for blank insurance policy forms and hanging hams. Every insurance policy smelled faintly of ham at no additional cost. He also sold the hams. I recall that his selling price was exactly the same as his buying price. Those hams of my youth were not the piddling little ones available now from Clifty Farms, Coon Creek, or even Penn's which do well to top seventeen pounds or so. The hanging insurance hams tended to be in the thirty to forty pound size. He also gave them away. I have a letter to him from Governor Earle Clements thanking him for such a gift. Clements is the Kentucky governor who decreed that no state employee was to take a gift more valuable than a country ham. When questioned years later about how he stopped the practice of gifts to state employees, the former governor was puzzled. "I did no such thing," he told the reporter. "But Governor," he replied, "how about your order that state employees could take no gift more valuable than a country ham?" "Why, son," said the governor, "nothing is more valuable than a country ham." Those big hams are not legal any more. Not because of size, but because if they were cured on the farm they would attract the attention of the ham police. Come Christmas at least two of the hams would come down. One would be taken to a local butcher to be sliced. A few of the slices would be kept back for Christmas morning. The rest were wrapped in pairs and delivered to special friends around town. I went with him on some of these forays and noticed that, more likely than not, the recipient was someone whose circumstances did not allow the luxury of ham. The other ham was destined for the oven. Mother had a large, well used roasting pan. The ham was skinned and trimmed to fit the pan. It was never soaked. The only water used in the process was that used to scrub the exterior of the ham. The recipe Mother used is unique. She said that it helped remove the salt from an overly salty ham and imparted a special flavor to the cured meat. Her formula has been widely shared amongst friend and foe. It was published some years back in the cooking book of a family friend. Some folks are eating ham cooked by Mother's recipe this very season.As a Christmas gift to you, gentle reader, I share this recipe. Remove the hock and skin. Leave as much of the fat beneath the skin as possible. A butcher can help here. Assemble the following ingredients:After the ham cools a bit, remove to cutting board for deboning.Baked ham is best served cold. However, should one wish a warm entre, heated sherry is a wonderful medium.4 Cups plain flourFire up the oven to 350 degrees or so. Our traditional Christmas breakfast consists of fried country ham, scrambled eggs, buttermilk biscuits with butter and jam. Our family is taking that Christmas breakfast to the home of Corinth's namesake in the wiles of Minnesota. May your holiday be as delightful as the one we are anticipating. Tom Chaney can be found telling stories, smoking pipe-weed, and occasionally selling books at: THE BOOKSTORE Box 73 / 111 Water Street Horse Cave, Kentucky 42749 270-786-3084 Email: Tom Chaney bookstore@scrtc.com Visit website: The Bookstore This story was posted on 2007-12-17 14:36:45
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Tom Chaney: Of Writers and Their Books:
Tom Chaney: December 9, 2007. Seize the Day Tom Chaney: Beware of Falling Angels Tom Chaney: Review of Playing for Pizza Tom Chaney. November 25, 2007: A Christmas Carol Tom Chaney, November 18, 2007: Robert Tanenbaum Tom Chaney, November 11, 2007: Dick Francis Tom Chaney, November 4, 2007: Davis McCombs Tom Chaney, Oct. 28, 2007: Rabbit Hunting in Lawson Bottom Tom Chaney: Miriam Grace Monfredo Tom Chaney, Sept. 30, 2007: Patricia Cornwell View even more articles in topic Tom Chaney: Of Writers and Their Books |
 
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