Stuffed Ham

The quintessential Christmas or Easter ham has a bit of a different look in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. Deep in southern Maryland, corned ham gets stuffed with hearty vegetables and pungent spices before being boiled for hours, creating the aptly named regional delicacy: stuffed ham.

Each cook in St. Mary’s County has their own Maryland stuffed ham recipe. Corned ham is the norm, but fresh or smoked hams are also welcome. The hearty filling includes vegetables like kale, cabbage, watercress, spring onions or a combination, and the greens are flavored with a diverse seasoning mix of bold, pungent, zippy and hot whole spices. And when it comes to holding everything together, some recipes even recommend wrapping the ham in a clean T-shirt instead of a cheesecloth! (In case you’re wondering, we chose the cheesecloth route.)

Stuffed ham has been around for generations and, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, has deep ties to Afro-Caribbean and British foodways. Outside of the holiday season, you’ll find stuffed ham in local southern Maryland delis, grocery stores and restaurants, sandwiched cold between slices of white bread, biscuits or dinner rolls.

Ingredients for Stuffed Ham

• Ham: Buy one large fresh or corned ham, around 8 to 12 pounds total. Make sure the bone is removed. Corned ham is just fresh ham that has been cured in salt, so it will be a little more flavorful than fresh ham.
• Vegetables: Hearty vegetables are the base of the ham’s filling. In our stuffed ham recipe, we use an equal amount of kale, cabbage and onions. Be sure to clean the kale and cabbage thoroughly (especially since kale can hold onto sand, making the filling gritty), then dry and chop all three vegetables.
• Salt: Two tablespoons might seem like a lot of salt, but it’s just the right amount to season the filling for an 8- to 12-pound ham.
• Celery seed: Celery seed is pungent, earthy and astringent. It complements the bitter greens and hotter spices in the filling nicely.
• Mustard seed: This strong-flavored seed is zippy, hot and pungent. I love their texture in the filling.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: Instead of vinegary heat (like that of mustard seeds), crushed red pepper flakes add a spicy kick. There’s just enough in this recipe to feel it on your tongue, but you can omit them if you’re not a fan of spice.
• Ground pepper: Coarsely ground pepper adds texture and big pops of flavor without overpowering the other flavors, as whole peppercorn seeds might. Besides, I always feel like I’m going to break a tooth when I eat one! Definitely stick with the coarsely ground variety.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the ham

TASTE OF HOME

Using a sharp knife, remove any fat on the outside of the ham.

TASTE OF HOME

Lay the ham flat, then make four to six half-moon slits into the deepest parts of the ham, about 2 inches deep. Set the ham aside.

Step 2: Make the filling

TASTE OF HOME

In a large bowl, combine the kale, cabbage, onions, salt, celery seed, mustard seed, crushed red pepper flakes and coarsely ground pepper.

Step 3: Stuff the ham

TASTE OF HOME

Stuff the filling mixture into the ham’s cuts, filling in all the gaps.

TASTE OF HOME

Place any remaining filling in the center of the ham.

Step 4: Tie the ham up in cheesecloth

TASTE OF HOME

Place the stuffed ham on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Bring up all four corners of the cheesecloth and tie them together tightly with kitchen string.

Step 5: Boil the ham

TASTE OF HOME

Fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover the ham. Bring the water to a boil, then carefully lower the ham into the pot. Reduce the heat, then cover the pot with a lid. Simmer the ham until its internal temperature reaches 145°F, about three to four hours.

Step 6: Slice and serve the ham

TASTE OF HOME

Carefully remove the ham from the pot and let it cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the cheesecloth. Slice the ham and serve.

TASTE OF HOME

Recipe Variations

• Use other greens: Feel free to use different varieties of greens in the stuffing. Some recipes call for watercress, green onions, collard greens, mustard greens and even celery. Use what’s in season or what you prefer!
• Add more spices: Add a little more spice and zing to the filling with cayenne pepper and dry ground mustard.

How to Store Stuffed Ham

To store stuffed ham, place cooled slices in an airtight container. The ham can last up to four days in the fridge.

Can you make stuffed ham ahead of time?

Absolutely! Prepare the stuffed ham a day or two in advance, and keep slices in an airtight container.

Stuffed Ham Tips

How do you serve Maryland stuffed ham?

During the holidays, Maryland-stuffed ham is best served warm. Slice it thin and serve it with Christmas sides and Easter dinner sides to complete the holiday spread. Otherwise, serve stuffed ham very cold from the fridge after an overnight chill. For an everyday preparation, layer thin, cold slices on potato rolls, white bread or buttermilk biscuits (like a Maryland crossover version of Virginia ham biscuits!). You can smear a bit of mayonnaise on the sandwiches, too, and lightly toast them in the oven.

Where can you find corned ham?

Unless you live in St. Mary’s County, corned ham probably isn’t readily available at the grocery store’s butcher counter. However, you can usually special-order one from the butcher ahead of time. Just call and ask! Otherwise, a fresh ham will do just fine for this stuffed ham recipe.