Best 4 Country Ham Braised With Madeira Recipes

HAM STEAKS WITH MADEIRA SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove any excess fat from each ham steak.
• Cut the apples into quarters. Cut away and discard the cores. Peel the quarters.
• Use 2 skillets, preferably nonstick, large enough to hold the ham pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in each skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of shallots to each skillet. Cook briefly, stirring, and add one ham steak to each skillet.
• Arrange one quartered apple around each steak. Spoon half the Madeira over the apples in each skillet. Cover closely and cook 5 minutes. Transfer the ham steaks to a hot platter and arrange the partly cooked apples around or over the pieces of meat.
• Pour the cooking liquid from one skillet into the other skillet. Add the 2 remaining tablespoons of wine, the tomato paste and mustard, and stir to blend. Bring to a simmer, swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and pour the sauce over the ham and apples.

SMITHFIELD HAM BAKED WITH MADEIRA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Trim rind and excess fat from ham, leaving 1/4-inch-thick layer of fat. Place ham on roasting rack set in heavy large roasting pan. Spread butter over ham. Sprinkle nutmeg over ham. Pour Madeira into pan. Bake ham until well glazed and dark brown, basting every 10 minutes with pan juices, about 11/2 hours. Let ham stand at least 20 minutes.
• Thinly slice ham, beginning at shank end and proceeding at angle toward thicker part of ham. Serve ham hot or at room temperature.

JAMBON BRAISE AU MADERE (BRAISED HAM W/MADEIRA SAUCE - FRANCE)

Steps:

• Melt half the butter in a heavy med-sized saucepan over med-high heat. Add the shallots & cook for 2-3 min till just softened, stirring freq.
• Sprinkle over the flour & cook for 3-4 min till well-browned, stirring constantly. Whisk in the stock + tomato puree & season to taste w/salt & pepper. Simmer over low heat till the sauce is reduced by nearly half, stirring occ.
• Taste the sauce & adjust seasoning as desired. Add the Madeira wine & cook for 2-3 minutes. (The sauce can be made up to 3 dys in advance, chilled & then rewarmed to serve.).
• Snip the edges of the ham steaks to prevent curling. Melt the remaining butter in a lrg fry pan over med-high heat. Add the ham steaks & cook 4-5 min (turning once) till the meat feels firm to the touch. Serve immediately w/the sauce.
• *Notes* ~ This is where I often go astray w/a recipe - a point where I begin to think about a better (or easier) way to do something or a way I pers prefer. *For example* ~ 1) The recipe said to strain the sauce at the end of Prep Step 3, but I deleted that as I rarely see it as beneficial & certainly not w/this recipe as the sauce has no food solids other than finely minced shallots -- 2) I esp like that this sauce can be made ahead & rewarmed to serve, but I'd be more than reluctant to walk away from the lovely pan drippings from cooking the ham steaks -- so I'd be inclined to rewarm the sauce in that same pan to add to the rich flavor of the sauce b4 serving.

BRAISED-THEN-BAKED HAM

Steps:

• If there is tough skin covering the top of the ham, cut it off to expose the fat.
• In a large, deep pot, heat butter or oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onions and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Place the ham on the vegetables, fatty side up. Add herb bundle, wine and 1 quart water and bring to a simmer.
• Cook for 2 to 3 hours at a bare simmer; baste with ladle every 20 minutes. After 2 hours, test with meat thermometer: ham is ready when internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Turn off the heat.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drain ham, reserving cooking liquid to use for stock (it freezes well). Place ham on a rack in a roasting pan, fatty side up, and score fat in a diamond pattern with tip of sharp knife. If using glaze, brush it on now.
• Place ham in oven; roast 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. If using glaze, brush on more after first 10 minutes of cooking.
• Remove from oven, tent with foil, and let rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving.