Stuffed Ham

About Dish

In St. Mary’s County, stuffed ham is a mainstay of church suppers and firemen’s balls from Thanksgiving to Christmas and into spring, and many restaurants serve it in the cool-weather months, at least intermittently. Its seasonal appearance dates back to the days of the autumn hog slaughter when plantation slaves were given the hog’s head, which they made more appealing by stuffing it with such late-crop produce as kale, turnip tops, wild watercress, or collards and mustard greens. The harmony of pork and greens was so good that the concept went up the food-status ladder from head to ham. Stuffed ham generally is served cold, in slices that resemble piggy brasciole with alternating ribbons of meat and filling.