Back in the 70′s when I was in high school it was a big deal if you knew someone who had a hand-held (pocket) calculator.
I remember in a senior math class I had, the up-coming test was going to be a killer and out of the kindness of Mr. Moser’s heart, he announced we would be able to use “pocket” calculators if we could find one.
Great. As if the math final wasn’t bad enough-now I had to stress over where I could come up with one of those new gadgets.
My grandfather had the first one that I had ever seen, and darned-near everyone in my circle, friends and family alike, will tell you the same thing. I will never forget it. It really was quite an amazing device, like something that would have come straight out of a science fiction novel. You turned it on, pressed a few simple buttons and SHAZZAAM! You had your answer! Unbelievable!
In a very short amount of time after that you could buy one, but you would pay a premium.
That was 30-some years ago. Maybe more, I don’t know.
The Young Generation:
Here we are now. I watched both of my kids as they were growing up playing with Nintendos and X-Boxes; I heard of other kids playing “Pong” when I was a kid. I watched them both type on a computer keyboard when they were pre-teens with both hands and use all of their fingers and, as far as I know, had no formal training. I watch in total amazement now as they text on their phones. I am only grasping the concept of texting and my two kids hammer it out at lightning-speed! They can text a whole story faster than I can speak a sentence! Hells fire! They don’t even have to look at their phone while they do it!
The reason I bring this up is for the last 4 or 5 months now I have been trying to learn about websites, the internet, internet marketing, blogging and just about everything else in between. Just when I think I am getting a handle on something, I find out I don’t really know anything about what I had just tried to do. You know, one step forward and three steps back. (I know this has nothing to do with BBQ, but just bear with me!)
Anyway, I decided I need a website. Not just any old website-I wanted one that has pictures, videos, an internet store, live news feeds, fresh articles and even a blog. (Whatever that is.)
How in the world would I go about getting started on something like that? Who would I turn to? Who has the Cardinal knowledge of the internet?
Our young generation, that’s who!
I watch the news like anyone else. I think the younger generation is absolutely out of their minds most of the time from what you see and hear in the current events. I don’t really like a lot of their music. I don’t care much for their fashion, wild-colored hair, body piercings, tattoos, and DAMN SON!! PULL THEM PANTS UP!!
But when it comes to futuristic things we old farts just don’t get or understand, just remember: Today’s “kids” were raised on this computer stuff. It is embedded into their soul like farming or canning food was embedded into our grandparents souls. To them it is second nature to think, talk, text and do today’s hi-tech activities.
I ask my kids what they think about things all the time. I ask them to help me do work, cook BBQ–you name it–and you know what I have found out?
If you give them a chance, they will perform. If you take the time to explain what it is you are trying to do, they can do it. If you ask them what they think, they’ll tell you and you may not agree but at least you will know how they look at things.
For the most part.
It does not always work that way, and sometimes the results are just plain disappointing at best.
But think about it: How many times have you been let down by someone in your parents’ generation? (Politicians, CEO’s of huge corporations, TV preachers, etc, etc, etc.)
How about our generation? (Drug dealers, lawyers, serial killers, Politicians again.)
Their generation has a whole set of problems all their own-things we never had to even imagine when we were their age.
I bet our parents said the same about us, and our grandparents said the same about our parents and so on back to the beginning.
They’ll be alright. Give ‘em a chance.
Especially when it comes to this internet stuff. For someone like me it’s been like trying to learn a second language. I ask a lot of questions and the younger crew is only glad to reply with more patience in the answer than I had in the question.
Filed under Blog by on Apr 13th, 2009. Comment. 
It’s Mother’s Day right around the corner and I want to make sure you are prepared to grill or oven roast a Mother’s Day Ham for your mumsey. My favorite hams are the spiral-cut hams that are pre-cooked and vacuum-packed in heavy plastic, complete with a powder to make a glaze. Just recently I found one of these beauties on sale for $1.98 per pound for a shank-end ham. Get One! Get a BIG one! Leftovers are fabulous.
Now, the whole trick to a tender, juicy, succulent ham is how it is prepared. The advertisements and directions say how easy it is but I’m sure you have experienced or heard of how ham can be bland and dry or just plain boring and tasteless. Not this ham!
The Problem With Hams…
The problem with these store-bought hams is by the time you warm it up to an internal serving temperature of at least 160 degrees, the meat has dried to the point of no return. There is not much left as far as flavor goes, and the Food Network will NOT be showing up for an impromptu interview on you and your powdery-dry ham. It’s palatable at best, and after you consume your body’s weight in water you will be full, but you know deep down inside there must be another way..
The National Pork Producers Council recommends a 350-degree oven to bake an uncooked cured ham. Allow 20 to 30 minutes per pound, to reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees (using an instant-read meat thermometer thrust into the thickest part of the meat not touching bone, fat or gristle).
The USDA recommends a cooking time of 15 to 18 minutes per pound for a whole, bone-in cooked smoked ham weighing 10 to 14 pounds. Allow 18 to 24 minutes per pound for half of a bone-in smoked ham weighing 5 to 7 pounds. Allow 25 to 30 minutes per pound for a 5- to 8-pound boneless arm picnic shoulder (cooked and smoked).
Both cooked and uncooked versions recommend you should cook your hams to an internal temperature of 160.
When you mix conventional methods of baking a ham with the way the ham was processed, cured then sliced, it is real easy to dry one out. Spiral cut hams have more surface area due to their slices than a whole uncut ham so the moisture will tend to evaporate much more and quicker in a 350 degree oven.
Here in this article I am talking about a cooked, spiral-cut ham. So go and get yourself one.
The Gathering…
In addition to the ham, you will also need a couple other things. Included with the ham is a package of powder for the glaze, which we will use, but instead of water I like to mix mine with spiced rum. Go out and buy about a half gallon or so – you only use a couple of tablespoons in the glaze but hey! Rum is good! (If you don’t use spiced rum, substitute it with something that has a high sugar content like maple syrup, pineapple juice or the juice from a jar of cherries.) You don’t really need all that much.
You will need something to roast it in, like a disposable foil pan. You will also need some aluminum foil and a long-handled spoon for basting.
If you like extras, like cloves, cherries or pineapples gather them as well. Make a decision on the method of cooking: oven or grill. If you are going to grill, make sure you have gas or charcoal.
Hamology 101…
The single-most important step in this process is preheating your ham before you throw it in the oven or on the grill. The secret trick is how to preheat it. Here is the secret trick: You are gonna soak it in hot water first! Yeah! Really!!
Remove the netting from your ham but leave it hermetically sealed in the vacuum packaging. Write down the weight of the ham found on the tag. This is very important for doing the math later on. Run your kitchen sink full of hot water from your tap. Submerge the ham completely under hot water and go do something else for about an hour.
After an hour, it’s time to go to work! Drain the sink and fill it up again with hot water. You are going to let it soak for 1 more hour.
Now think about it: The ham is below 40 degrees when you buy it at the store. You are preheating it for a couple of hours in hot water without exposing it to the elements of a hot, dry oven. You are raising the temperature over half way to the serving temp without even taking it out of the package! That’s how it stays moist! Ancient Chinese Secret!
Go ahead and preheat the oven or fire up the grill. The instructions will tell you to bake it at 350 for somewhere in the 10-15 minutes per pound range (depending on the mfg. and weight of your ham-read the instructions) but you will now calculate the cooking time at 7-12 minutes per pound. Depending on how hot your water is and how long you really let it soak before you put it in the oven or on the grill, these general times will be the time when you first want to check it with your instant read thermometer.
Rule of thumb here is you are going to cut close to half of the baking time off by allowing your ham to enjoy a nice hot bath before it is baked.
If you are going to make sides that require baking, now would be a good time to put them into the oven. Might I suggest some Macaroni & Cheese?
Get Cookin’…
Take that ham out of it’s wrapper and plop it in whatever you are going to roast it in. Lay it on the side that has the most fat and put a small amount of water in the pan, about 1/4 cup. If you are using any extras, now’s the time to put all but about 1/4 of what you’re using on your ham. You should not need any salt so cover it with a piece of foil and put it in the oven or on the grill. The idea here is to heat /steam your ham so make sure the foil is wrapped tight with the edges of the pan.
No, do the math! (Ham weight) x (7 [minutes per pound]) = how many minutes till you check the progress of the ham’s temperature. This first temperature target will be 150 degrees. You will still have to glaze it and then let it rest for 15 minutes. The internal temp will rise at least 5 degrees while basting and another 5 degrees (from all that stored energy from cooking) while it is resting so your ham will have an internal temp right at 160 degrees when you are finished.
Let the ham bake for about a half-hour then make the glaze: Empty the glaze packet into a small saucepan. Instead of water, add the spiced rum or whatever you’re using. Chop up the rest of your extras, if using any, very fine and add to the glaze. You need to simmer the glaze until it thickens by reducing. You want it to be able to coat a spoon. Take your time and don’t let it scorch.
Allrighty then, you have checked the temperature and that ‘ol ham is 150 degrees. Time to begin glazing. I don’t know for sure how you checked the temp, but remove the ham from the oven/grill and remove the foil (save it for resting later).
Getting All ‘Glazy’…
Now, take a fork and separate the slices all across the top of the ham. You don’t have to worry if they go back together a little bit, you just want them to separate enough to let some glaze run in. Brush the glaze all over the ham but concentrate your efforts across the top. Use about 1/4 to 1/3 of the glaze this first time. Make sure your chopped-up extras are going on the ham as well.
Pop it back into the oven, UN-covered.
After a full 15 minutes, open up the oven and give it another good glazin’.
And then again.
After another 15 minutes, check the temp. I bet it’s there (160). If it is, take it out and tent with foil for another 15 minutes.
While it is resting, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the bottom of the pan and mix into what’s left of the glaze. Heat it back up and reduce by simmering. Pour it over the ham while it’s still hot right before you serve your masterpiece!
Filed under Blog by on Apr 20th, 2009. Comment.