Published November 1, 1996.
When developing our country ham recipe, we focused on the soaking and cooking method. Soaking a cured ham causes the salty meat to absorb water, thereby softening the ham and preventing excessive dryness. Soaking time depends on how long the ham has aged. Hams aged for fewer than six months don't need to be soaked; hams aged for six months to a year should be soaked for 36 hours; and hams aged for more than a year should be soaked for three days, with the water being changed every day. As for cooking, we liked simmering, which adds a touch of moisture and makes it easier to remove the ham bone for more convenient serving, but we also developed a baked country ham recipe for people who prefer that method.
For a nicer presentation, you may decide not to remove the hock from the ham. To soak a hock-on ham, we found a clean garbage can lined with a heavy-duty trash bag to be an ideal soaking vessel.
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