Sorry about your wasted ham and wasted time Mr. Mayor.

When I lived in Michigan and working as a chef one of my employees proudly gave me a country ham from Virginia for Christmas. He was as proud as a peacock. "Yes, m’aam, dat’s right, it was made by mah familee in Virginee. Y’all are gonna loove it, chef."

It was beautiful. Took it home and soaked it. (Thank God this was not planned to be our Christmas dinner.) Changed the water regularly over 2 days. Baked it, it smelled wonderful, it looked wonderful. We could not eat it. That ham gave the word SALTY a new meaning. And it was tougher and more stringy than a boiled owl. Inedible.

So, we’re going to have to wait for the official Country Ham Committee to tell us how to do it right because I, too, had a negative experience.

[xx(][:(]