Ham cake!

[BrassyPhrase]

This is actually a cooking question, I promise.

First a little backstory. I got a great deal on one of those spiral cut bone-in hams in Feb. I guess the store was trying to get rid of them for the new Easter hams or whatever. It has turned out to be a LOT of fricking ham for two people. (So much ham in the freezer.)

And it’s become a running joke:

Me: Honey, can I get you a sandwich or something?
The Fella: Does it have ham…nevermind.

So he had worked this long day (from home) and I had decided I wanted some cake. So I made a box mix cake from the pantry and it was cooking and he came out of his work cave.

Me: I made cake! I saved you a mixer to lick!
The Fella: Does it have ham?
Me: (on the fly and being a jackass) Of course. Hello? Everything has ham in it.

He walks in looking at me while licking the cake batter off the beater with a bewildered WTF?

I cracked up and said “Omg, who would put ham in a cake?”

Off to google I go and I found this recipe:

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/ham-cake-2810

Reading it, I thought it actually sounded pretty good. So tonight I made it. (So. Much. Ham.) But reading the recipe, I thought it sounded like it was pretty dry. I’d intended to make like a mustard sauce to go with but it ended up not happening.
It’s really very tasty and I’m sure I’ll make it again (hashtag somuchham).

But it is so dry.

Here’s my question–to the cooks, is there a way to make it moister? Maybe I overcooked it?

(Before anyone asks, I did do the conversion from metric to US cups, etc. I even double checked them.)

tl:dr Here’s an odd recipe that I liked and please help me make it better.

[Ukulele_Ike]

I’m impressed that you tried to make something called “ham cake.” I would have just laughed heartily and turned the page.

You MUST have overcooked it. That is a hella lot of egg, cheese, and oil for less than a half-pound of ham. If I had invented this, I would have called it “Egg Cake with Ham Flavor Sitting in a Hot Oil Bath.”

[BrassyPhrase]

It’s actually now called Ham Loaf in our house. I think I had the oven setting wrong?

I’ve been teaching myself to cook. Everytime it’s edible, I WIN!

[panache45]

Next time, make BACON cake!

[AllShookDown]

Ham loaf is a thing of its own. That is not ham loaf. There are lots of recipes out there for ham loaf. It was a standard leftover dish at our house after a ham holiday. Also, scalloped potatoes and ham and bean soup with ham.

[Little_Nemo]

@Ukulele_Ike

You MUST have overcooked it. That is a hella lot of egg, cheese, and oil for less than a half-pound of ham. If I had invented this, I would have called it “Egg Cake with Ham Flavor Sitting in a Hot Oil Bath.”

I’m wondering about the parmesan. That’s a pretty dry cheese and it might have absorbed a lot of the moisture out of the mix.

[thelurkinghorror]

You used spiral-cut ham? That’s very different than serrano. I’d substitute prosciutto or something instead.

How did you do the conversion? I don’t see any metric volume measures in there, did you do grams to ounces or cups? Because if the latter and you used some conversion for density of ham, are you sure it was the right kind of ham?

I suggest you use a rum ham next time. With a side of jelly beans, over hard.

[BrassyPhrase]

@thelurkinghorror

You used spiral-cut ham? That’s very different than serrano. I’d substitute prosciutto or something instead.

How did you do the conversion? I don’t see any metric volume measures in there, did you do grams to ounces or cups? Because if the latter and you used some conversion for density of ham, are you sure it was the right kind of ham?

I suggest you use a rum ham next time. With a side of jelly beans, over hard.

I have a feeling you’re making fun of me. (That’s okay, you’re in good company. I make fun of myself all the time!)

I did 220 grams of flour to basically 1 and 3/4 cups of flour and 75 grams to 7 Tbs of parmesan. I used a converter that I found online.

And I only like black licorice jelly beans, so there!

[thelurkinghorror]

@BrassyPhrase

I have a feeling you’re making fun of me. (That’s okay, you’re in good company. I make fun of myself all the time!)

I did 220 grams of flour to basically 1 and 3/4 cups of flour and 75 grams to 7 Tbs of parmesan. I used a converter that I found online.

And I only like black licorice jelly beans, so there!

No, the last part was a joke, but not at your expense.

The flour weight conversion I’d trust a calculator (if other sources agree), I just was wondering how you determined the quantity of ham to use.

[Ukulele_Ike]

@Little_Nemo

I’m wondering about the parmesan. That’s a pretty dry cheese and it might have absorbed a lot of the moisture out of the mix.

Nah. If you put parm in something and put it in the oven, it melts and oozes out.

I’m talking about real Parmesan, grated from the block, not the stuff in the green can with the wood pulp in it.

[BrassyPhrase]

@thelurkinghorror

No, the last part was a joke, but not at your expense.

The flour weight conversion I’d trust a calculator (if other sources agree), I just was wondering how you determined the quantity of ham to use.

I actually didn’t measure the ham part. I chopped up so much ham. Visually it looked like two cups (and was probably three). Yeah, it wasn’t prosciutto or serrano, so I left the fatty bits on what I have.)

I still have ham. I took myself to get Italian food tonight.

[BrassyPhrase]

@Ukulele_Ike

Nah. If you put parm in something and put it in the oven, it melts and oozes out.

I’m talking about real Parmesan, grated from the block, not the stuff in the green can with the wood pulp in it.

The wood pulp is a desiccant, but yeah that’s what I used. One of the reasons I liked the recipe was that it used stuff I had in my pantry.
I like a good cheese, don’t get me wrong.

I’m also cheap <I mean thrifty>.

Btw, would you like some ham?

[Ukulele_Ike]

Yes, please!

Speaking of Italian cuisine, have you tried pasta al’amatriciana? I’ve often made it with leftover ham instead of fancy-schmancy Italian charcuterie.

Amatriciana sauce

You could also saute some chopped ham with sliced onion and cabbage. When the veggies are tender, toss with buttered egg noodles. My Bohunk forebears loved this. It’s popular all over Central Europe; Hungarians, Poles, and Germans make it, too. Sometimes without ham. But you have ham.

[BrassyPhrase]

@Ukulele_Ike

Yes, please!

Speaking of Italian cuisine, have you tried pasta al’amatriciana? I’ve often made it with leftover ham instead of fancy-schmancy Italian charcuterie.

Amatriciana sauce - Wikipedia

You could also saute some chopped ham with sliced onion and cabbage. When the veggies are tender, toss with buttered egg noodles. My Bohunk forebears loved this. It’s popular all over Central Europe; Hungarians, Poles, and Germans make it, too. Sometimes without ham. But you have ham.

I love you and would have your babies.

That amatriciana sause sounds awesome.
:smack: Why didn’t I think of ham and cabbagey dishes? (In my defense, I always do meat plus cabbage in the winter. This has been a crazily warm Feb in Houston.)

[Little_Nemo]

@thelurkinghorror

No, the last part was a joke, but not at your expense.

I don’t care if it’s a joke from a sitcom. I read the description and I was thinking “I would eat this.”

[the_diego]

The fastest way to use up ham is as picca-picca when drinking, and as sandwiches.

[Ukulele_Ike]

Speaking of sandwiches, there’s “ham salad,” another familiar dish from growing up in Cleveland that I never see in New York.

Chop some ham fine, mix with chopped dill pickle, celery, hard-boiled egg, moisten with enough mayonnaise and mustard to make it pliable and spreadable. Mystify your friends by serving as a cocktail appetizer with cute lil’ crackers!

This could be a nice thing to serve with a chilled manzanilla or fino sherry. Cadiz meets Akron over the tapas table.

[CalMeacham]

Why don’t you try making Ham Ice Cream? It wouldn’t be dry.
Seriously – look here:

http://icecreamjournal.turkeyhill.com/index.php/2013/05/24/would-you-try-ham-and-cheese-ice-cream/

[gnoitall]

@thelurkinghorror

You used spiral-cut ham? That’s very different than serrano. I’d substitute prosciutto or something instead.

This might be quite relevant. I like the convenience of a spiral-cut ham, but because it’s pre-sliced, my observation is that the meat dries out in the roasting process far more than a whole ham would. So perhaps the meat itself wound up being more water-absorbent then planned.

[Ukulele_Ike]

@CalMeacham

Why don’t you try making Ham Ice Cream?

Throw a Ham Dinner Party for all your besties!

Serve Martinis with a ham chunk on a toothpick instead of an olive; ham canapés, ham appetizers, ham-based main dish, vegetables flavored with ham, ham ice-cream sundaes garnished with sweet ham biscuits. THAT’LL finish off that fucking ham.

And the Berkowitzes will love it!