RE: Smoked Picnic Shoulder - how do you cook it?

[angustia]

I grabbed a smoked picnic shoulder that was on sale, and would like to cook it this weekend.
What's the best dish for that? How do you do yours? This newbie definitely needs step-by-step guidance. :)

[RichardinJP]

Makes a great boiled dinner. Cover with water and simmer for about 1 - 11/2 hours. Add vegetables (whole or large chunks of carrots, potatoes, rhutabaga, onions and carrots) and boil to achieve desired doneness. I usually start with the onions and rhutabaga, then add the potatoes and carrots and then the cabbage. Drain and serve with mustard on the side.

[angustia]

Thanks to you all for all the wonderful ideas. There's been some change of plans. We'll have ham for X'mas (I got a spiral ham on sale at WalMart).......so the smoked pork will have to wait until sometime next year.

I checked if the smoked pork is from Quebec. It doesn't say. It only says "prepared for Sobeys," along with a toll-free number.

There's a lot of cured, or already prepared meat cut I see in the grocery stores which I've never ever tried before (like the brisket, cured pork etc..)....they are specially-wrapped with marinade (?) liquid on bags. I assume they're from European cultures - I find that I like to explore those type of dishes.

[porker]

FWIW, Mrs. Porker buys a smoked shoulder on reflex when on sale. Ifn we don't eat it right away, she'll throw it in the freezer. It keeps well.
BTW, when purchasing, make sure the vacuum pac is intact and tight, not loose and airy.

[alkapal]

oooh ooh, ok, you've gotta try the jezebel sauce with your christmas ham! (recipe link upthread).

[angustia]

Jezebel...sounds sinfully delicious. :)

Okay...share the recipe please.

[alkapal]

i posted it already upthread.

it is wonderful.

[LUV_TO_EAT]

Had spiral cut once...won't do it ever again. It had so much water and it was tasteless compared to the smoked product. If you think about it...would you buy pre-cut sliced somewhat thinly turkey/chicken/beef/pork. Just my opinion. All the flavour/juices leave the meat even before you start cooking/heating it.

[sunshine842]

depends on the brand -- there are spiral-sliced hams that have great flavor and are moist and juicy.

[LUV_TO_EAT]

It may be like gravy juicy but not real juicy since the juice has been bled out when it was spiral cut. It might be OK but once you've had the smoked ham I don't think you'll find the spiral is as good.

[angustia]

I've had spiral ham from a friend, and what I lked about it was the texture of the meat. It had some "chewiness" like a real meat (unlike the tender texture of some "seasoned" meat that seemed somewhat "mushy" tender ), and I also like its taste, considering it was a leftover from her Christmas dinner. I'd love the leftovers from that for sandwiches.
Unfortunately she can't remember the name of the brand.
I bought the PC brand, and it's not like it. Now I've got "our finest" brand from WalMart. If this is not that, I'll try the one from Costco.
As for the other regular hams usually sold during Christmas, there's a variety of them. Not to be confused with the smoked ham in the original topic, I'm refrring to the ones that are called, ham.
From your past experience, do you have any particular preference? Brand-wise?

[sunshine842]

I've had spiral, smoked, home-cured, Virginia-cured, as well as any number of different cures from across Europe. I like all of them.

Nothing wrong with a good-quality spiral ham...and I've never had one that was dry or flavorless, nor one that tasted waterlogged.

If you disliked it enough to not try it again, I respect that -- but you shouldn't dissuade others from trying what is a rather popular category because you had one bad run-in.

[mscoffee1]

I love this Julia Child recipe. Cook covered in the oven over the seasoned liquid. My recipe is from a different Child cookbook but is very similar to the one I found posted. I love the taste of the meat and the salt is reduced with the braising. I actually don't usually make the sauce or top with bread crumbs, but I do use the some of the braising liquid in my bean soups, beans and rice (not too much or it will be salty) then at the end I add chunks of the braised shoulder also. Wonderful flavor for the beans and the ham doesn't have its flavor cooked out.

http://books.google.com/books?id=pzzH...
I use vermouth and about 1/3 cup of port as well as a low low salt chicken stock in the braising liquid in the recipe including seasoning and vegetables.

[alkapal]

here is the recipe: http://eat.at/swap/forum1/11589_REC_J...

[jkling17]

Hi Angustia,

Oh it couldn't be much easier. Low and slow is the key.

If you have a crockpot, etc - put it in fat side up, with just a touch of water to cover the bottom. Set to low, cover and it will be done - weight depending - in about 8-10 hours. Don't worry about overcooking it. It's nearly impossible to do so. You really want the collagen to liquify. So the meat in the thick part and not right next to the bone - should register 200 degrees. The thermometer will just slide right in. If it resists a bit then even before you see the numbers, it not there yet.

If you cover your crockpot with foil (with a few holes poked in it) - before putting the cover over the foil - this will get to done faster.

In the oven, it's 225. Rub with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Fat side up on roasting dish, etc - I use my broiler pan as it catches the drippings nicely. Let it get to 150-160 then wrap foil around the entire top and sides and then check on it in 2 more hours. It may well take more time beyond that.

Trust me - it is impossible to mess up one of these. Low and slow is how you'll get there and let it get all the way to 200 so that it just falls apart. When it's done, let it sit for 20-30 min then shred it. And season anyway that you like. I use extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper as my base. And then from there do different things as my mood strikes, with homemade sauces, chilis, peppers, srirachi sauce, etc.

[alkapal]

jkling, perhaps you missed the "smoked" part of the original post's description. this is a smoked picnic ham, not a raw pork shoulder. there is no "collagen" to ""break down"….the meat is already cured and most likely just needs to be warmed through. cooking as you suggest is not correct for a smoked ham. you do not want ham to fall apart. this is not a pulled pork situation.

[LUV_TO_EAT]

I would tend to agree with alkapal. already smoked not really for pulling.

I soak the ham the day before...changing water two or three times because I find it can be salty.
I cut the tough rind off the ham and then score the fat in two directions (just like you see in pics)
then I mustard it, then brown sugar and it (can also add cinnamon, ginger, some nutmeg)
then put pineapple half rounds held on by studding/pinning it down with cloves
line a pan with foil (easier cleanup) and pour a can of regular coke in there for moisture and basting later
cook it in the oven at 350 until it's hot (I let mine go almost as long as a turkey as they cook side by side...my ham is pretty big, not sure how big the shoulder is).
carve...and try and discard some of that fat. Absolutely delicious.

[jkling17]

lol .... YEP! MISSED that bit - hahahhaa. Sorry. I do regular pulled pork about once a week ... let my enthusiasm get the better of me.

[mrbigshotno.1]

I really like the Farmland brand, I pick up the half sized ones at WM for next to nothing. They make the best ham and cabbage meal, about 5-6 hours in the crockpot then add your veggies for about another 1 1/2 hours, some cornbread or rye bread & butter and you've got a great winter supper.

[angustia]

This brand is by "Compliments," which is the signature brand of a grocery chain in Canada.
That ham-and-cabbage sounds wonderful.

[alkapal]

if you want it less salty, you can simmer it for a little while to extract much of that salt (this is what my sister does, and i have done once). in any event, i like to make an apricot or orange marmalade glaze…. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apricot-brown-sugar-ham/ you can use peach preserves, too.

then just warm through in the oven. a "jezebel" sauce is a good accompaniment, too! http://dixiedining.wordpress.com/2009...

be sure and have some biscuits to eat the ham on!

(i think it is probably "cooked' already. read the label carefully, as sunshine suggests).
~~~~~
when you get tired of ham, you can cut thick slices or hunks off the bone and freeze. this is nice to use later in all sorts of dishes…quiches, eggs, creamy pasta sauces with garden peas, ham sandwich, etc. !

and do not neglect to use that bone to make some good bean soup! (having left some ham on the bone for this specific purpose).
~~~~~~
curious as to sales price and your locale?

[porker]

I'd be curious about the sale prices as well.
In my neck of the woods, this brand is popular
http://www.lafleur.com/en/products/ha...
as its made a few hours away near Quebec City. It goes on sale for 99c/lb, meaning $8-$10 apiece. Its usually closer to $20 when not on sale.

Mrs. Porker takes it out of the plastic, leaving the net stocking in place. She then simply immerses it in water and simmers a couple of hours.
Before serving the net is removed (we joke about chewing on the bag - bits of stuck-on meat) and the meat is sliced. Not fancy, but very tasty nonetheless.
I like to make scalloped potatoes as a side.

Leftovers, as alkapal mentions, is a highlight.
My mother-in-law will cut into 1/4" pieces and fry continuously until they're black and crisped. She likes this on a sandwich with crusty bread.
And yeah, leave some meat on the bone for soup. My favorite is yellow pea soup.

A small side-bar ham story.
A friend travelling through the US was passing through Virginia maybe 20 years ago. He figured why not get an authentic, gen-u-ine, Virginia country ham. Stopping at a market and perusing the hams, he bought one.
Once home and reading the label more carefully, he discovered his gen-u-ine Virginia country ham was made in Lachine, Quebec (on the outskirts of Montreal) less than an hour from his home...
I got a kick outta that one and still bug him to this day.

[welitlcook]

This post right here enticed me to sign uo to this cooking forum... HIGH FIVE. This post cracks me up.

Happy to be aboard. Hope i can find the sweet recpes that i long for.

Thanks for having me and Poker Thanks for the laugh!

[porker]

Welcome welitlcook.
The discussions on these boards can sometimes get heated, sometimes nasty (like all anonymous boards, I'd imagine), but the vast majority of posts contain a great wealth of info, ideas, and plain old entertainment.

The search function is quite useful when looking for specifics.
Have fun!

[angustia]

Ways with leftovers are very handy since it's only me and my husband who'll eat this. This makes a very good budget-stretcher! :)

[alkapal]

oh yeah… you'll be eatin' on that baby for a while! heh heh. that's why i made the freezing suggestion.

"Eternity is a ham and two people."
Dorothy Parker

[sunshine842]

what do the instructions say? Does it say to cook it, or just to heat it?

[angustia]

It says, "uncooked." The packaging did give a straight forward cooking instruction just for the pork.
I'm hoping to find other recipes used by those who are very familiar with the smoked pork.

[sunshine842]

You didn't say, and it makes a difference.