Montauk Pioneer - October 31, 2008 - Food For 'Tauk with Genevieve Salamone

You know the saying "pork fat rules?" It's a term that's been coined by Chef Emeril Lagasse, a legend in eyes of foodies like myself. His delectable catch phrase is an often-uttered mouthful in our house. Whether we're digging into a juicy pork rib bone that's been simmering in Mom's red sauce all day or chowing down on one of my ultimate favorite pork dishes, my mom's baked ham, pork definitely rules at my house.

Mom's ham is baked with sweet pineapple slices and brown sugar, glazed every 30 minutes in its own syrupy juices. When it's done, it's most definitely pork perfection. After we finish up that meal, we take the leftovers, bone and all, and put it in a crockpot loaded with fresh vegetables and green split peas, and it makes one heck of a belly pleaser - especially on a cold winter night.

This recipe is timeless - Mom makes it all year round, but it's also a staple on our Christmas table.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ham in a large baking dish. Score the fat side of the ham, using a sharp knife, and make a criss-crossing pattern. Using your toothpicks, arrange pineapple slices over the scored section of the ham. Mix your brown sugar with the canned pineapple juices. Pour mixture over the entire ham. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 - 3 hours (internal temperature should be 160 degrees when done). Baste ham every 30 minutes with the juices that collected in the baking dish. Let cool 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with mashed potatoes and carrots for a delectable feast.

Bone from Baked Ham (recipe above) and about 2 cups of leftover ham, cut into small pieces
1 pound bag green split peas (be sure to go through them and pull out any stones or unwanted particles)
1-pound carrots cut into about 1-inch rounds
2 medium onions cut into about 1-inch pieces
2 pounds potatoes cut into about 1-inch pieces
1 parmesan cheese rind
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients into your crockpot, and cover ingredients with water. Set your cooker to "low" and cook all day, at least 8-10 hours. If your home, crank the heat up to high and your stew will be ready in half the time. The leftovers from this strew just get better and better.