Ham Balls

There is some midwestern food I will never learn to like.  Like "beef burgers". (You really have to see my face to know how I feel about those)

But Ham balls are another story.  I love these.   I don't even know if you can get ham loaf outside of Iowa but if you can, you have to try some ham balls.  Here is my version.  I even tried to figure out measurements just for you.

• 1 lb ham loaf
• 1 cup bread crumbs or crushed crackers  (I actually did not have either one and used oats and it was fine)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 can drained crushed pineapple (save the juice for the sauce)
• 1/2 tsp Penzeys American Barbecue spice

Mix that all up and form balls.  Put them in a pan and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

While they are in the oven make the sauce:

• 1 Tbl butter
• 1/ 4 Cup Ketchup
• 1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Brown sugar
• 2 Tbl Honey mustard 
• 1 tbs Penzeys barbecue spice
• 1/2 tsp Ginger
• The rest of the crushed pineapple & juice

Melt the butter in the ketchup in a small saucepan.  Add the other ingredients and mix.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for a few minutes.  When the 15 minutes are up, spoon  it on the ham balls and bake another 45 minutes.

Left over Ham bone? HAM STOCK!

Ham stock is wonderful.    

I won't even bother to make Gumbo without it. But even just to cook some beans and rice in ham stock really makes it so much richer.  And it's so easy.

I cooked a spiral cut ham for Easter dinner.  Spent a good amount of time trying to find the smallest one available but there's still a lot left over but the kids can take ham back to school.  So you cut as much ham off the bone as you can.  As you see, I left a lot of ham on it, it comes off a lot easier afterward.

Put the ham in a large stockpot and cover with cold water.  

Add some celery stalks - even the leftover leafy part from the celery you cut up for Easter dinner....a couple of pieces of onion, some garlic, I had a piece of red bell pepper that was getting soft.  

Whatever old veggies you have that you will probably throw out in a few days - throw them in there.  Add some peppercorns.  Bring it all to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer, put the lid on, and go take a nap for a few hours.

A few hours later, strain it, pour it in gallon zip lock bags, label and freeze it.  

You have this year's supply of ham stock.