I’m a lucky gal. I’m a hop, skip and a jump from Smithfield, Virginia (a.k.a. the “Ham Capital of the World”) where I can get real deal smoked, glazed, bone-in, bone-out and salt-cured hams straight from the source. Sitting down to Sunday Supper with a fourteen-pound ham as the centerpiece makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, yet no matter how many times I slice it, I always end up with a huge pile of leftovers.
While casseroles, quiches and grilled ham and cheese almost always end up on the following week’s menu, one of my favorite ways to repurpose a whole ham is to whip up a batch of “deviled ham” inspired spread. Instead of using smoked ham, which is most commonly incorporated into this classic mixture of mayo, mustard and spices, I substitute salt-cured country ham and blend it with sweet honey mustard and relish, which gives the mixture a lovely salty-meets-sweet flavor. Try this country ham spread on crackers or fill small rolls for an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer platter.
Cook’s note: don’t add any additional salt to this dish without tasting it first!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound country ham, diced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard
- 1 tablespoon sweet relish
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
- 1 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnut pieces, lightly toasted
- 1 hard boiled egg, chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 24 soft party-size dinner rolls
Directions
1. In a food processor, gently pulse all ingredients (except rolls) until the mixture just holds together but still retains some chunks. Be careful not to over process. Season with black pepper.
2. Fill each roll with about two tablespoons of ham salad and serve. This dish is best made a day ahead.
